Moulton Elementary School

Summary:

Moulton Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 420 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 301 out of 309 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Moulton Elementary consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Iowa, ranking between 526-599 out of 557-616 schools over the past 10 years. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are significantly lower than the district and state averages. Additionally, Moulton Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 95.24% to 97.09% over the past three school years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. However, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.9 to 12.8 over the past three school years.

In comparison, the nearby schools, such as Walnut Street School, Cattell Elementary, and Monroe Elementary, generally perform better academically than Moulton Elementary, with higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. These schools also have lower percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a less economically disadvantaged student population. Despite Moulton Elementary's higher spending per student compared to some nearby schools, this higher spending does not seem to translate into better academic outcomes for the school.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1541 8th Street
Des Moines, IA 50314

(515) 242-8427

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
526^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,426

Students who attend Moulton Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Harding Middle School
High:	North High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.9

Number of students: 450

Racial breakdown:

African American:

46.9%

Hispanic:

33.1%

White:

8.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.2%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Moulton Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Moulton Elementary School ranks worse than 94.4% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 25^th among 38 ranked elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.24. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (46.9%), Hispanic (33.1%), White (8.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 88.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Moulton Elementary School is 12.9. 25 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Moulton Elementary School employs 34.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Moulton Elementary School is $16,426, which is the 18^th highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Moulton Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Des Moines Independent Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Des Moines Independent Community School District 301^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Moulton Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	10.92	591^st	626	5.6%
2013	6.11	601^st	624	3.7%
2014	4.07	583^rd	603	3.3%
2015	1.61	608^th	616	1.3%
2016	1.08	597^th	599	0.3%
2017	1.33	570^th	574	0.7%
2018	3.38	551^st	567	2.8%
2019	1.71	599^th	603	0.7%
2021	2.88	555^th	567	2.1%
2022	3.21	560^th	574	2.4%
2023	3.33	551^st	565	2.5%
2024	7.24	526^th	557	5.6%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Moulton Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	263	152	8	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	429
1989	227	131	6	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	370
1990	247	134	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	391
1991	232	151	5	1	3	n/a	n/a	0	392
1992	250	174	9	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	439
1993	233	199	16	6	7	n/a	n/a	0	461
1994	206	199	16	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	434
1995	203	171	26	25	3	n/a	n/a	0	428
1996	203	171	26	25	3	n/a	n/a	0	428
1997	207	180	18	24	2	n/a	n/a	0	431
1998	200	199	24	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	452
1999	187	202	22	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	446
2000	188	219	19	41	0	n/a	n/a	-15	452
2001	162	233	22	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
2002	149	286	16	38	4	n/a	n/a	0	493
2003	149	286	16	38	4	n/a	n/a	0	493
2004	158	259	15	55	6	n/a	n/a	0	493
2005	148	252	22	71	6	n/a	n/a	0	499
2006	138	242	21	62	4	n/a	n/a	0	467
2007	137	230	24	75	2	n/a	n/a	0	468
2008	123	227	23	86	2	n/a	n/a	0	461
2009	149	216	22	79	0	n/a	n/a	0	466
2010	88	224	22	78	1	0	2	0	415
2011	66	209	24	92	1	1	14	0	407
2012	59	196	28	113	0	0	26	0	422
2013	58	215	28	144	0	0	26	0	471
2014	57	234	35	161	0	0	32	0	519
2015	56	215	23	156	2	0	21	0	473
2016	65	209	19	169	2	0	23	0	487
2017	45	218	28	169	5	0	18	0	483
2018	40	214	45	179	7	0	19	0	504
2019	40	247	47	167	5	0	25	0	531
2020	40	236	54	177	4	0	25	0	536
2021	45	209	38	158	4	0	27	0	481
2022	37	200	25	146	5	1	27	0	441
2023	29	187	30	138	5	0	31	0	420
2024	37	211	25	149	4	0	24	0	450

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Moulton Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	429	28.9	14.8	76.7
1989	370	21.5	17.2	81.1
1990	391	30.5	12.8	68.3
1991	392	45.6	8.5	83.9
1992	439	42.0	10.4	73.1
1993	461	41.0	11.2	82.2
1994	434	53.8	8.1	83.4
1995	428	41.2	10.4	75.9
1996	428	41.2	10.4	75.9
1997	431	41.2	10.5	80.5
1998	452	41.2	11.0	75.2
1999	446	40.6	11.0	93.3
2000	452	47.9	9.4	82.7
2001	449	48.9	9.2	81.5
2002	493	50.2	9.8	47.3
2003	493	50.2	9.8	47.3
2004	493	56.1	8.8	46.2
2005	499	52.2	9.6	80
2006	467	51.9	9.0	71.9
2007	468	51.7	9.1	21.6
2008	461	48.5	9.5	99.3
2009	466	51.3	9.1	54.3
2010	415	45.7	9.0	86.5
2011	407	41.8	9.7	82.1
2012	422	41.8	10.0	99.3
2013	471	40.0	11.7	88.5
2014	519	37.0	14.0	94
2015	473	34.0	13.9	96
2016	487	40.0	12.1	96.3
2017	483	40.0	12.0	97.3
2018	504	40.0	12.6	97.6
2019	531	38.0	13.9	97.6
2020	536	39.1	13.7	96.6
2021	481	40.2	11.9	97.1
2022	441	34.4	12.8	95.5
2023	420	33.5	12.5	95.2
2024	450	34.8	12.9	88.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Moulton Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	429	28.9	14.8	76.7
1989	370	21.5	17.2	81.1
1990	391	30.5	12.8	68.3
1991	392	45.6	8.5	83.9
1992	439	42.0	10.4	73.1
1993	461	41.0	11.2	82.2
1994	434	53.8	8.1	83.4
1995	428	41.2	10.4	75.9
1996	428	41.2	10.4	75.9
1997	431	41.2	10.5	80.5
1998	452	41.2	11.0	75.2
1999	446	40.6	11.0	93.3
2000	452	47.9	9.4	82.7
2001	449	48.9	9.2	81.5
2002	493	50.2	9.8	47.3
2003	493	50.2	9.8	47.3
2004	493	56.1	8.8	46.2
2005	499	52.2	9.6	80
2006	467	51.9	9.0	71.9
2007	468	51.7	9.1	21.6
2008	461	48.5	9.5	99.3
2009	466	51.3	9.1	54.3
2010	415	45.7	9.0	86.5
2011	407	41.8	9.7	82.1
2012	422	41.8	10.0	99.3
2013	471	40.0	11.7	88.5
2014	519	37.0	14.0	94
2015	473	34.0	13.9	96
2016	487	40.0	12.1	96.3
2017	483	40.0	12.0	97.3
2018	504	40.0	12.6	97.6
2019	531	38.0	13.9	97.6
2020	536	39.1	13.7	96.6
2021	481	40.2	11.9	97.1
2022	441	34.4	12.8	95.5
2023	420	33.5	12.5	95.2
2024	450	34.8	12.9	88.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Moulton Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,675 (10.2%)	$14,751 (89.8%)	$16,426

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Moulton Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 599^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 551^st of 565 Elementary schools	1.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Moulton Elementary School)	28.9	27.7	1.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	44	43.3	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Moulton Elementary School)	40.8	43.1	2.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	52	52.1	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Moulton Elementary School)	44.4	39	5.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	49.7	52.4	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Moulton Elementary School)	39.4	47.5	8.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	50.9	47.6	3.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Moulton Elementary School)	23.5	28.3	4.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	46.5	49.5	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Moulton Elementary School)	27.2	51.7	24.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.4	51.6	3.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	531	420	20.9%
African American	247	187	24.3%
American Indian	5	5
Asian	47	30	36.2%
Hispanic	167	138	17.4%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	40	29	27.5%
Two or More Races	25	31	24%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	97.6%	95.2%	2.3%

Schools Near Moulton Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)			ISASP Mathematics (2024)			ISASP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Moulton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1541 8th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8427	450	35	12.9	88.2%	37 (8.2%)	211 (46.9%)	149 (33.1%)	25 (5.6%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)	7.2	526^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.6%		3.3	551^st of 565 public elementary schools	2.5%	25	31.0	40.3	42.6	29.3	38.8	63.9	36.1	$16,426	$1,675	$14,751
Jessie Franklin Taylor	Public	PK	1801 16th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8424	194	11	17.3	82.5%	36 (18.6%)	71 (36.6%)	54 (27.8%)	18 (9.3%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	12 (6.2%)								(n/a)
King Elementary School	Public	K-5	1849 Forest Ave	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8417	273	25	10.9	91.2%	18 (6.6%)	120 (44.0%)	101 (37.0%)	22 (8.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.7%)	1	555^th of 557 public elementary schools	0.4%		0.4	565^th of 565 public elementary schools	0.0%	10	15.6	34.1	42.1	28.1	25.0	36.8	18.4	$18,403	$2,345	$16,058
Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	705 E University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8418	419	36	11.7	87.4%	34 (8.1%)	100 (23.9%)	248 (59.2%)	17 (4.1%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.8%)	3.7	544^th of 557 public elementary schools	2.3%		0.8	564^th of 565 public elementary schools	0.2%	20	31.0	44.1	32.2	48.3	50.8	45.8	25.4	$17,672	$1,648	$16,024
Edmunds Elementary School	Public	K-5	950 15th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 243-1174	286	26	11.2	94.8%	20 (7.0%)	207 (72.4%)	40 (14.0%)	9 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (3.1%)	1.7	551^st of 557 public elementary schools	1.1%		1.5	559^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.1%	8	29.4	34.1	41.3	47.1	39.0	37.0	15.2	$18,276	$2,057	$16,219
Findley Elementary School	Public	K-5	3025 Oxford Street	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8407	284	25	11.4	80.6%	77 (27.1%)	57 (20.1%)	77 (27.1%)	46 (16.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	24 (8.5%)	10.2	513^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.9%		11	520^th of 565 public elementary schools	8.0%	7	41.5	43.2	49.0	43.9	43.2	57.1	46.9	$16,683	$1,316	$15,366
Walnut Street School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Walnut St	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8438	244	17	14.6	55.3%	77 (31.6%)	80 (32.8%)	48 (19.7%)	14 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.2%)	33	430^th of 557 public elementary schools	22.8%		28.8	444^th of 565 public elementary schools	21.4%	14	50.0	82.1	65.4	70.0	53.6	57.7	48.0	$16,042	$659	$15,382
Cattell Elementary School	Public	K-5	3101 E 12th St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8403	308	29	10.5	78.9%	80 (26.0%)	67 (21.8%)	105 (34.1%)	26 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	27 (8.8%)	29.4	443^rd of 557 public elementary schools	20.5%		19.5	483^rd of 565 public elementary schools	14.5%	40	50.0	56.5	74.4	50.0	51.6	79.1	53.5	$16,110	$1,920	$14,190
Monroe Elementary School	Public	K-5	2250 30th St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8425	377	35	10.8	88.9%	45 (11.9%)	159 (42.2%)	83 (22.0%)	67 (17.8%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.8%)	19 (5.0%)	1.8	550^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.3%		2.8	554^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.9%	4	26.1	40.0	33.3	46.8	44.0	31.5	25.9	$19,913	$3,902	$16,011
Oak Park	Public	K-5	3928 6th Avenue	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8428	309	27	11.4	80.6%	83 (26.9%)	87 (28.2%)	93 (30.1%)	21 (6.8%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (7.1%)	2.7	546^th of 557 public elementary schools	2.0%		4.3	546^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.4%		38.9	50.9	36.0	41.7	30.2	29.4	25.5	$16,793	$1,701	$15,092

Frequently Asked Questions about Moulton Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Moulton Elementary School?

Students at Moulton Elementary School are 47% African American, 33% Hispanic, 8% White, 6% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Moulton Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What schools do graduates of Moulton Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Moulton Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Harding Middle School
High : North High School

Is Moulton Elementary School a good school?

Moulton Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.6% of Iowa elementary schools.

How many students attend Moulton Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 450 students attended Moulton Elementary School.

Rate Moulton Elementary School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.