Oak Park

Summary:

Oak Park is an elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 313 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school faces significant academic challenges, as evidenced by its low test scores, statewide ranking, and high percentage of students from low-income families.

Oak Park's academic performance, as measured by the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), is significantly lower than the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 38.9% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 43.1% for the Des Moines Independent Community School District and 64.2% for the state. Similarly, in mathematics, only 41.7% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better, compared to 55.5% for the district and 76.3% for the state. Oak Park has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking of 546 out of 557 schools in the 2023-2024 school year.

The challenges faced by Oak Park appear to be systemic within the Des Moines Independent Community School District, as nearby schools such as Edmunds Elementary, Moulton Elementary, and King Elementary exhibit similar performance issues. However, when compared to schools outside the district, such as Cornell Elementary in the Saydel Community School District, the academic performance and student demographics are quite different, suggesting that the challenges faced by Oak Park may be more closely tied to the district and community factors.

Detail:

Public K-5

3928 6th Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50313

(515) 242-8428

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
546^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,793

Students who attend Oak Park usually attend:

Middle:	Harding Middle School
High:	North High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 313

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

31.0%

African American:

26.2%

White:

24.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Oak Park ranks worse than 98% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 33^rd 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 2.66. (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 Oak Park has the largest elementary school student body size in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Oak Park is $16,793, which is the 10^th highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Oak Park 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 Oak Park

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	22.76	555^th	626	11.3%
2013	35.78	484^th	624	22.4%
2014	39.02	457^th	603	24.2%
2015	36.27	469^th	616	23.9%
2016	28.11	490^th	599	18.2%
2017	3.15	552^nd	574	3.8%
2018	5.46	541^st	567	4.6%
2019	9.48	570^th	603	5.5%
2021	5.05	548^th	567	3.4%
2022	3.74	559^th	574	2.6%
2023	4.34	546^th	565	3.4%
2024	2.66	546^th	557	2.0%

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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Enrollment information for Oak Park

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	302	23	6	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	341
1989	307	23	6	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	349
1990	306	19	9	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	347
1991	294	29	8	11	4	n/a	n/a	0	346
1992	287	29	9	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	339
1993	345	31	7	10	5	n/a	n/a	0	398
1994	340	29	15	9	5	n/a	n/a	0	398
1995	349	24	11	6	5	n/a	n/a	0	395
1996	349	24	11	6	5	n/a	n/a	0	395
1997	341	34	3	6	5	n/a	n/a	0	389
1998	342	29	9	8	4	n/a	n/a	0	392
1999	340	30	8	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	395
2000	334	32	5	15	3	n/a	n/a	-27	362
2001	316	41	14	31	3	n/a	n/a	0	405
2002	255	47	14	48	2	n/a	n/a	0	366
2003	255	47	14	48	2	n/a	n/a	0	366
2004	209	41	13	51	6	n/a	n/a	0	320
2005	212	52	12	52	3	n/a	n/a	0	331
2006	227	73	30	59	1	n/a	n/a	0	390
2007	219	75	27	76	2	n/a	n/a	0	399
2008	204	83	30	87	1	n/a	n/a	0	405
2009	209	89	25	78	2	n/a	n/a	0	403
2010	197	60	17	95	1	0	40	0	410
2011	183	65	25	92	0	0	38	0	403
2012	176	67	18	99	2	0	45	0	407
2013	176	80	18	83	1	1	40	0	399
2014	173	69	18	92	3	1	40	0	396
2015	166	69	21	101	2	1	46	0	406
2016	168	80	25	108	2	1	40	0	424
2017	149	95	28	101	4	1	40	0	418
2018	120	75	28	89	2	1	54	0	369
2019	101	94	35	102	2	0	42	0	376
2020	101	82	38	88	2	1	28	0	340
2021	86	96	36	78	3	0	27	0	326
2022	83	84	38	75	3	0	26	0	309
2023	78	82	32	97	4	0	20	0	313

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 Oak Park

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	341	18.8	18.1	32.3
1989	349	1.4	249.2	25.2
1990	347	17.1	20.2	24.2
1991	346	20.0	17.3	28
1992	339	22.0	15.4	32.2
1993	398	24.6	16.2	35.9
1994	398	23.6	16.9	33.9
1995	395	24.0	16.5	35.9
1996	395	24.0	16.5	35.9
1997	389	24.0	16.2	32.9
1998	392	24.0	16.3	33.4
1999	395	25.6	15.4	53.2
2000	362	28.6	12.7	51.9
2001	405	30.7	13.2	59.3
2002	366	71.8	5.1	61.5
2003	366	71.8	5.1	61.5
2004	320	28.8	11.1	58.8
2005	331	26.9	12.3	63.1
2006	390	26.8	14.6	64.6
2007	399	27.2	14.7	68.7
2008	405	29.4	13.8	73.8
2009	403	31.1	13.0	73
2010	410	31.0	13.2	79.5
2011	403	29.0	13.8	81.6
2012	407	31.0	13.1	77.4
2013	399	29.5	13.5	82.5
2014	396	31.5	12.5	80.6
2015	406	29.0	14.0	82.3
2016	424	32.0	13.2	81.4
2017	418	31.8	13.1	81.3
2018	369	31.1	11.8	82.1
2019	376	29.2	12.8	85.9
2020	340	27.7	12.2	87.1
2021	326	27.1	12.0	88.7
2022	309	25.2	12.2	88
2023	313	26.6	11.7	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 Oak Park

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	341	18.8	18.1	32.3
1989	349	1.4	249.2	25.2
1990	347	17.1	20.2	24.2
1991	346	20.0	17.3	28
1992	339	22.0	15.4	32.2
1993	398	24.6	16.2	35.9
1994	398	23.6	16.9	33.9
1995	395	24.0	16.5	35.9
1996	395	24.0	16.5	35.9
1997	389	24.0	16.2	32.9
1998	392	24.0	16.3	33.4
1999	395	25.6	15.4	53.2
2000	362	28.6	12.7	51.9
2001	405	30.7	13.2	59.3
2002	366	71.8	5.1	61.5
2003	366	71.8	5.1	61.5
2004	320	28.8	11.1	58.8
2005	331	26.9	12.3	63.1
2006	390	26.8	14.6	64.6
2007	399	27.2	14.7	68.7
2008	405	29.4	13.8	73.8
2009	403	31.1	13.0	73
2010	410	31.0	13.2	79.5
2011	403	29.0	13.8	81.6
2012	407	31.0	13.1	77.4
2013	399	29.5	13.5	82.5
2014	396	31.5	12.5	80.6
2015	406	29.0	14.0	82.3
2016	424	32.0	13.2	81.4
2017	418	31.8	13.1	81.3
2018	369	31.1	11.8	82.1
2019	376	29.2	12.8	85.9
2020	340	27.7	12.2	87.1
2021	326	27.1	12.0	88.7
2022	309	25.2	12.2	88
2023	313	26.6	11.7	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 Oak Park

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,701 (10.1%)	$15,092 (89.9%)	$16,793

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Oak Park

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 570^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 546^th of 565 Elementary schools	2.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Oak Park)	47.1	42.3	4.8%
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 (Oak Park)	48.5	46.2	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 (Oak Park)	54.7	42.6	12.1%
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 (Oak Park)	56.6	34	22.6%
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 (Oak Park)	43.1	50	6.9%
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 (Oak Park)	41.4	35	6.4%
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	376	313	16.8%
African American	94	82	12.8%
American Indian	2	4	100%
Asian	35	32	8.6%
Hispanic	102	97	4.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	101	78	22.8%
Two or More Races	42	20	52.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	85.9%	88.2%	2.3%

Schools Near Oak Park

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
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	313	27	11.7	88.2%	78 (24.9%)	82 (26.2%)	97 (31.0%)	32 (10.2%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.4%)	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
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	304	25	12.1	86.2%	96 (31.6%)	60 (19.7%)	82 (27.0%)	45 (14.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.6%)	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
Madison Elementary School	Public	K-5	806 E Hoffman St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8420	243	22	11.0	89.7%	60 (24.7%)	20 (8.2%)	115 (47.3%)	30 (12.3%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.2%)	4.9	538^th of 557 public elementary schools	3.4%		2.7	555^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.8%	17	40.0	50.0	31.6	53.3	52.6	31.6	26.3	$18,238	$1,698	$16,540
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	322	29	11.0	84.8%	89 (27.6%)	66 (20.5%)	111 (34.5%)	21 (6.5%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (9.6%)	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
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	420	34	12.5	95.2%	29 (6.9%)	187 (44.5%)	138 (32.9%)	30 (7.1%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.4%)	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
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	267	23	11.7	97.4%	20 (7.5%)	114 (42.7%)	102 (38.2%)	15 (5.6%)	2 (0.7%)	3 (1.1%)	11 (4.1%)	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
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	423	35	12.0	94.6%	43 (10.2%)	145 (34.3%)	102 (24.1%)	93 (22.0%)	4 (0.9%)	7 (1.7%)	29 (6.9%)	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
Cornell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	5817 NE 3rd St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 244-8173	527	39	13.5	41.9%	386 (73.2%)	4 (0.8%)	96 (18.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (7.6%)	34.5	419^th of 557 public elementary schools	24.8%		44.3	370^th of 565 public elementary schools	34.5%	49	41.9	67.7		76.7	66.7			$12,990	$832	$12,159
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	423	35	12.0	94.8%	46 (10.9%)	105 (24.8%)	228 (53.9%)	18 (4.3%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	21 (5.0%)	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
Samuelson Elementary School	Public	K-5	3929 Bel-Aire Rd	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8441	412	34	12.0	78.9%	89 (21.6%)	99 (24.0%)	57 (13.8%)	136 (33.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (6.8%)	13.8	493^rd of 557 public elementary schools	11.5%		14.2	510^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.7%	17	46.4	52.9	51.7	60.7	52.9	60.0	36.7	$15,980	$1,376	$14,603

Frequently Asked Questions about Oak Park

What schools do graduates of Oak Park attend?

Students who attend Oak Park usually go on to attend:

Middle : Harding Middle School
High : North High School

Is Oak Park a good school?

Oak Park ranks in the bottom 2.0% of Iowa elementary schools.

How many students attend Oak Park?

In the 2022-23 school year, 313 students attended Oak Park.

What district is Oak Park in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Oak Park?

Students at Oak Park are 31% Hispanic, 26% African American, 25% White, 10% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

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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.