Park Ave Elementary School

Summary:

Park Ave Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 378 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 301 out of 309 school districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Park Ave Elementary consistently underperforms compared to district and state averages in standardized test scores. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 28.6% to 39.2% across grades 3-5, while the district and state averages were significantly higher. The school's performance in Mathematics and Science also lags behind the district and state. Additionally, Park Ave Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 80.42% to 83.33% over the past three school years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Despite the school's academic challenges, it has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.7 to 13.2 over the past three school years, which is lower than the nearby schools like McKinley Elementary School, Jackson Elementary School, and Lovejoy Elementary School. The school's spending per student for the 2018-2019 school year was $16,460, which is higher than the nearby schools, but this does not seem to be translating into improved academic outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-5

3141 SW 9th St
Des Moines, IA 50315

(515) 242-8429

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
540^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,460

Students who attend Park Ave Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Brody Middle School
High:	Lincoln High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 378

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.4%

Hispanic:

28.8%

African American:

14.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 80.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Park Ave Elementary School ranks worse than 96.9% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 29^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 4.43. (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 Park Ave Elementary School 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 Park Ave Elementary School is $16,460, which is the 17^th highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Park Ave 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 Park Ave Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	10.55	593^rd	626	5.3%
2013	15.58	573^rd	624	8.2%
2014	3.98	584^th	603	3.2%
2015	8.82	570^th	616	7.5%
2016	18.45	520^th	599	13.2%
2017	20.22	492^nd	574	14.3%
2018	16.70	496^th	567	12.5%
2019	14.45	548^th	603	9.1%
2021	11.44	526^th	567	7.2%
2022	8.33	538^th	574	6.3%
2023	6.52	534^th	565	5.5%
2024	4.43	540^th	557	3.1%

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 Park Ave Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	543	16	2	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	573
1989	571	27	6	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	615
1990	548	22	9	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	589
1991	534	33	8	6	3	n/a	n/a	0	584
1992	547	56	7	11	7	n/a	n/a	0	628
1993	523	93	9	20	9	n/a	n/a	0	654
1994	494	88	11	13	9	n/a	n/a	0	615
1995	479	91	8	18	11	n/a	n/a	0	607
1996	479	91	8	18	11	n/a	n/a	0	607
1997	501	81	13	13	8	n/a	n/a	0	616
1998	444	79	13	11	7	n/a	n/a	0	554
1999	408	88	11	12	8	n/a	n/a	0	527
2000	458	94	11	15	12	n/a	n/a	-29	561
2001	406	76	12	27	7	n/a	n/a	0	528
2002	389	58	14	42	4	n/a	n/a	0	507
2003	389	58	14	42	4	n/a	n/a	0	507
2004	358	59	16	30	1	n/a	n/a	0	464
2005	377	59	10	25	3	n/a	n/a	0	474
2006	351	48	8	22	6	n/a	n/a	0	435
2007	340	50	5	20	7	n/a	n/a	0	422
2008	374	66	6	32	6	n/a	n/a	0	484
2009	352	70	15	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	482
2010	346	54	16	70	1	3	31	0	521
2011	320	73	15	83	1	2	33	0	527
2012	264	65	11	84	0	2	39	0	465
2013	280	53	16	87	1	2	33	0	472
2014	288	43	18	95	0	1	26	0	471
2015	247	47	12	92	1	1	24	0	424
2016	239	62	15	102	2	0	31	0	451
2017	214	70	15	97	2	2	30	0	430
2018	208	77	13	98	1	0	34	0	431
2019	186	78	11	100	3	0	32	0	410
2020	200	64	11	110	2	0	31	0	418
2021	180	52	11	109	0	1	29	0	382
2022	171	66	5	117	2	1	28	0	390
2023	164	56	13	109	2	0	34	0	378

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 Park Ave Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	573	30.0	19.1	19.9
1989	615	2.4	256.2	21
1990	589	30.8	19.1	19
1991	584	30.8	18.9	25.5
1992	628	38.0	16.5	25.8
1993	654	43.2	15.1	29.1
1994	615	49.0	12.6	30.6
1995	607	38.4	15.8	33.9
1996	607	38.4	15.8	33.9
1997	616	38.4	16.0	34.9
1998	554	38.4	14.4	33.6
1999	527	32.8	16.1	42.1
2000	561	35.4	15.8	35.8
2001	528	36.7	14.4	41.1
2002	507	33.1	15.3	40.4
2003	507	33.1	15.3	40.4
2004	464	35.9	12.9	45.7
2005	474	28.8	16.5	49.8
2006	435	28.2	15.4	51
2007	422	25.8	16.4	55.7
2008	484	29.5	16.4	52.1
2009	482	31.0	15.5	52.1
2010	521	35.2	14.7	58.7
2011	527	37.8	13.9	69.8
2012	465	33.8	13.7	73.8
2013	472	34.8	13.5	78.4
2014	471	32.3	14.5	75.4
2015	424	32.0	13.2	79.7
2016	451	32.0	14.0	79.2
2017	430	30.7	14.0	79.3
2018	431	31.7	13.5	81.9
2019	410	31.8	12.8	83.9
2020	418	30.4	13.7	83.5
2021	382	32.5	11.7	82.5
2022	390	30.4	12.8	83.3
2023	378	28.5	13.2	80.4

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 Park Ave Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	573	30.0	19.1	19.9
1989	615	2.4	256.2	21
1990	589	30.8	19.1	19
1991	584	30.8	18.9	25.5
1992	628	38.0	16.5	25.8
1993	654	43.2	15.1	29.1
1994	615	49.0	12.6	30.6
1995	607	38.4	15.8	33.9
1996	607	38.4	15.8	33.9
1997	616	38.4	16.0	34.9
1998	554	38.4	14.4	33.6
1999	527	32.8	16.1	42.1
2000	561	35.4	15.8	35.8
2001	528	36.7	14.4	41.1
2002	507	33.1	15.3	40.4
2003	507	33.1	15.3	40.4
2004	464	35.9	12.9	45.7
2005	474	28.8	16.5	49.8
2006	435	28.2	15.4	51
2007	422	25.8	16.4	55.7
2008	484	29.5	16.4	52.1
2009	482	31.0	15.5	52.1
2010	521	35.2	14.7	58.7
2011	527	37.8	13.9	69.8
2012	465	33.8	13.7	73.8
2013	472	34.8	13.5	78.4
2014	471	32.3	14.5	75.4
2015	424	32.0	13.2	79.7
2016	451	32.0	14.0	79.2
2017	430	30.7	14.0	79.3
2018	431	31.7	13.5	81.9
2019	410	31.8	12.8	83.9
2020	418	30.4	13.7	83.5
2021	382	32.5	11.7	82.5
2022	390	30.4	12.8	83.3
2023	378	28.5	13.2	80.4

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 Park Ave Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,357 (8.2%)	$15,103 (91.8%)	$16,460

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Park Ave 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 548^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 534^th of 565 Elementary schools	3.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Park Ave Elementary School)	48.1	38.1	10%
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 (Park Ave Elementary School)	48.1	46	2.1%
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 (Park Ave Elementary School)	48.2	39.3	8.9%
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 (Park Ave Elementary School)	43.9	36.1	7.8%
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 (Park Ave Elementary School)	60.3	47.3	13%
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 (Park Ave Elementary School)	55.9	45.5	10.4%
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	410	378	7.8%
African American	78	56	28.2%
American Indian	3	2	33.3%
Asian	11	13	18.2%
Hispanic	100	109	9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	186	164	11.8%
Two or More Races	32	34	6.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	83.9%	80.4%	3.5%

Schools Near Park Ave 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
Park Ave Elementary School	Public	K-5	3141 SW 9th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8429	378	29	13.2	80.4%	164 (43.4%)	56 (14.8%)	109 (28.8%)	13 (3.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.0%)	4.4	540^th of 557 public elementary schools	3.1%		6.5	534^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.5%	6	39.2	28.6	37.1	54.9	37.5	44.4	38.1	$16,460	$1,357	$15,103
South Union Elementary School	Public	K-5	4201 South Union	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8409	442	37	11.8	88.7%	117 (26.5%)	103 (23.3%)	132 (29.9%)	52 (11.8%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.7%)	7	528^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.2%		5.6	541^st of 565 public elementary schools	4.2%	13	38.5	51.6	44.8	55.8	37.1	53.7	31.3	$14,822	$1,433	$13,389
Howe Elementary	Public	K-5	2900 Indianola	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8413	297	25	11.9	88.6%	78 (26.3%)	68 (22.9%)	105 (35.4%)	27 (9.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.1%)	11.2	506^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.2%		15.7	501^st of 565 public elementary schools	11.3%	5	28.0	48.6	54.0	46.0	43.2	64.0	40.0	$16,527	$1,727	$14,800
Wright Elementary School	Public	K-5	5001 SW 14th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8442	273	20	13.4	83.2%	120 (44.0%)	33 (12.1%)	81 (29.7%)	7 (2.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.4%)	21.3	466^th of 557 public elementary schools	16.3%		4.1	547^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.2%	81	60.6	38.5	55.3	69.7	53.8	50.0	52.6	$15,928	$1,243	$14,685
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	2425 Watrous Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8416	338	23	14.8	49.7%	220 (65.1%)	29 (8.6%)	51 (15.1%)	10 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	25 (7.4%)	49	341^st of 557 public elementary schools	38.8%		55	283^rd of 565 public elementary schools	49.9%	58	66.0	68.0	77.6	75.5	72.0	69.4	49.0	$13,945	$622	$13,323
McKinley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1610 SE 6th Street	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8423	285	24	11.9	89.5%	77 (27.0%)	33 (11.6%)	128 (44.9%)	17 (6.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.8%)	8.1	519^th of 557 public elementary schools	6.8%		6.5	535^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.3%	16	31.7	41.7	54.5	39.0	52.8	57.6	33.3	$18,844	$1,470	$17,374
Jackson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3825 Indianola Ave	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8415	406	29	14.2	80.5%	90 (22.2%)	77 (19.0%)	153 (37.7%)	59 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.7%)	10.2	512^th of 557 public elementary schools	8.1%		13.8	512^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.4%		38.2	55.0	47.3	48.5	63.3	52.7	28.4	$15,448	$1,376	$14,072
Lovejoy Elementary School	Public	K-5	801 E Kenyon Ave	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8419	365	32	11.4	89.3%	94 (25.8%)	87 (23.8%)	117 (32.1%)	39 (10.7%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	4.1	542^nd of 557 public elementary schools	2.7%		4.6	544^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.7%	2	24.1	50.0	41.9	49.1	33.3	45.2	35.5	$17,256	$2,903	$14,353
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	269	20	13.5	65.4%	94 (34.9%)	86 (32.0%)	44 (16.4%)	14 (5.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	28 (10.4%)	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
Downtown School	Public	K-5	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 284-5848	243	20	12.3	25.1%	163 (67.1%)	23 (9.5%)	25 (10.3%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.5%)	71.2	149^th of 557 public elementary schools	73.2%		57.5	261^st of 565 public elementary schools	53.8%	112	63.6	86.4	84.2	78.8	84.1	73.7	71.1	$14,247	$621	$13,626

Frequently Asked Questions about Park Ave Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Park Ave Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Park Ave Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Brody Middle School
High : Lincoln High School

What district is Park Ave Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

Is Park Ave Elementary School a good school?

Park Ave Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3.1% of Iowa elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Park Ave Elementary School?

Students at Park Ave Elementary School are 43% White, 29% Hispanic, 15% African American, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Park Ave Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 378 students attended Park Ave Elementary School.

Rate Park Ave 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.