Phillips Elementary

Summary:

Phillips Elementary is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 258 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 Iowa and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Phillips Elementary's test scores are generally higher than the nearby Findley Elementary and Moulton Elementary, they are still significantly lower than the district and state averages. The school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 11.4, but a high percentage of students (81.01%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a predominantly low-income population. Phillips Elementary's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past decade, suggesting the school is struggling to keep up with the performance of other schools in the state.

Despite the challenges faced by Phillips Elementary, there are several higher-performing schools within a relatively short distance, such as Cattell Elementary and Willard Elementary. This proximity could present opportunities for collaboration, resource-sharing, or even student transfers to help improve the performance of Phillips Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-5

1701 Lay St
Des Moines, IA 50317

(515) 242-8431

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
504^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,246

Students who attend Phillips Elementary usually attend:

High:

East High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 258

Racial breakdown:

White:

55.0%

Hispanic:

28.7%

African American:

10.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 81%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Phillips Elementary ranks worse than 90.5% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 16^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 11.53. (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 Phillips Elementary 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 Phillips Elementary is $16,246, which is the 19^th highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Phillips Elementary 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 Phillips Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	50.76	381^st	626	39.1%
2013	51.10	368^th	624	41.0%
2014	42.17	436^th	603	27.7%
2015	49.74	392^nd	616	36.4%
2016	56.01	321^st	599	46.4%
2017	41.72	405^th	574	29.4%
2018	31.61	439^th	567	22.6%
2019	9.88	567^th	603	6.0%
2021	23.71	467^th	567	17.6%
2022	26.63	462^nd	574	19.5%
2023	21.73	471^st	565	16.6%
2024	11.53	504^th	557	9.5%

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 Phillips Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	283	11	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	299
1989	298	8	1	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	312
1990	317	14	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	343
1991	328	14	1	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	355
1992	402	28	4	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	449
1993	357	15	3	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	389
1994	378	22	2	17	3	n/a	n/a	0	422
1995	408	17	5	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	448
1996	408	17	5	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	448
1997	395	15	5	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	433
1998	378	15	6	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	415
1999	338	7	5	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	366
2000	353	6	7	9	2	n/a	n/a	-30	347
2001	326	9	6	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	348
2002	313	6	9	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	338
2003	313	6	9	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	338
2004	321	7	4	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	337
2005	339	9	5	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	361
2006	315	12	4	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	342
2007	319	11	4	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	344
2008	315	17	10	25	2	n/a	n/a	0	369
2009	329	18	7	24	1	n/a	n/a	0	379
2010	322	13	6	42	0	0	11	0	394
2011	326	14	5	43	0	0	11	0	399
2012	321	9	7	52	0	0	13	0	402
2013	310	8	6	62	0	0	18	0	404
2014	314	9	5	57	0	0	22	0	407
2015	293	7	5	61	0	0	21	0	387
2016	266	10	8	71	0	0	18	0	373
2017	244	21	7	65	0	0	22	0	359
2018	216	26	3	75	0	0	19	0	339
2019	205	31	2	79	0	0	12	0	329
2020	196	31	4	81	2	0	11	0	325
2021	163	33	5	77	2	1	12	0	293
2022	154	18	5	72	1	0	13	0	263
2023	142	26	3	74	2	0	11	0	258

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 Phillips Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	299	17.0	17.5	16.1
1989	312	13.5	23.1	18.6
1990	343	17.1	20.0	16.6
1991	355	26.0	13.6	17.2
1992	449	25.0	17.9	17.6
1993	389	27.0	14.4	25.2
1994	422	29.5	14.3	21.1
1995	448	25.4	17.6	30.1
1996	448	25.4	17.6	30.1
1997	433	25.4	17.0	26.1
1998	415	25.4	16.3	24.3
1999	366	19.3	19.0	35.2
2000	347	21.0	16.5	33.2
2001	348	21.1	16.5	26.1
2002	338	21.2	15.9	24.3
2003	338	21.2	15.9	24.3
2004	337	21.9	15.4	32
2005	361	20.6	17.5	32.7
2006	342	20.4	16.8	36.8
2007	344	19.4	17.7	38.7
2008	369	20.4	18.1	38.5
2009	379	21.6	17.5	36.7
2010	394	20.5	19.1	46.2
2011	399	19.0	21.0	52.4
2012	402	20.5	19.6	55.2
2013	404	21.0	19.2	55.2
2014	407	21.6	18.7	50.9
2015	387	23.0	16.8	51.2
2016	373	24.0	15.5	55.5
2017	359	23.1	15.5	57.4
2018	339	24.5	13.8	62.2
2019	329	26.2	12.5	72.9
2020	325	24.1	13.4	76.3
2021	293	26.3	11.1	77.5
2022	263	25.3	10.3	76.8
2023	258	22.5	11.4	81

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 Phillips Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	299	17.0	17.5	16.1
1989	312	13.5	23.1	18.6
1990	343	17.1	20.0	16.6
1991	355	26.0	13.6	17.2
1992	449	25.0	17.9	17.6
1993	389	27.0	14.4	25.2
1994	422	29.5	14.3	21.1
1995	448	25.4	17.6	30.1
1996	448	25.4	17.6	30.1
1997	433	25.4	17.0	26.1
1998	415	25.4	16.3	24.3
1999	366	19.3	19.0	35.2
2000	347	21.0	16.5	33.2
2001	348	21.1	16.5	26.1
2002	338	21.2	15.9	24.3
2003	338	21.2	15.9	24.3
2004	337	21.9	15.4	32
2005	361	20.6	17.5	32.7
2006	342	20.4	16.8	36.8
2007	344	19.4	17.7	38.7
2008	369	20.4	18.1	38.5
2009	379	21.6	17.5	36.7
2010	394	20.5	19.1	46.2
2011	399	19.0	21.0	52.4
2012	402	20.5	19.6	55.2
2013	404	21.0	19.2	55.2
2014	407	21.6	18.7	50.9
2015	387	23.0	16.8	51.2
2016	373	24.0	15.5	55.5
2017	359	23.1	15.5	57.4
2018	339	24.5	13.8	62.2
2019	329	26.2	12.5	72.9
2020	325	24.1	13.4	76.3
2021	293	26.3	11.1	77.5
2022	263	25.3	10.3	76.8
2023	258	22.5	11.4	81

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 Phillips Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$669 (4.1%)	$15,577 (95.9%)	$16,246

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Phillips Elementary

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 567^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 471^st of 565 Elementary schools	10.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Phillips Elementary)	34	25	9%
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 (Phillips Elementary)	39.6	25	14.6%
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 (Phillips Elementary)	45.5	68.2	22.7%
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 (Phillips Elementary)	54.5	54.5
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 (Phillips Elementary)	53.7	71	17.3%
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 (Phillips Elementary)	55.6	54.8	0.8%
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	329	258	21.6%
African American	31	26	16.1%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	2	3	50%
Hispanic	79	74	6.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	205	142	30.7%
Two or More Races	12	11	8.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	72.9%	81%	8.1%

Schools Near Phillips Elementary

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
Phillips Elementary	Public	K-5	1701 Lay St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8431	258	23	11.4	81.0%	142 (55.0%)	26 (10.1%)	74 (28.7%)	3 (1.2%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (4.3%)	11.5	504^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.5%		21.7	471^st of 565 public elementary schools	16.6%	33	50.0	34.2	55.6	61.8	47.4	53.3	31.1	$16,246	$669	$15,577
Garton Elementary	Public	K-5	2820 E 24th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8408	455	38	11.9	87.9%	90 (19.8%)	85 (18.7%)	172 (37.8%)	70 (15.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	33 (7.3%)	12.4	499^th of 557 public elementary schools	10.4%		3.1	552^nd of 565 public elementary schools	2.3%	53	44.4	46.7	31.3	77.8	49.3	46.9	26.6	$16,721	$1,650	$15,072
Stowe Elementary School	Public	K-5	1411 E 33rd St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8435	313	26	12.2	87.5%	126 (40.3%)	57 (18.2%)	103 (32.9%)	11 (3.5%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (4.2%)	2	548^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.6%		2.2	558^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.2%	10	28.1	38.2	27.5	25.0	23.5	49.0	17.6	$17,791	$1,908	$15,883
Willard Elementary School	Public	K-5	2941 Dean Avenue	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8439	286	24	11.8	90.2%	99 (34.6%)	41 (14.3%)	107 (37.4%)	12 (4.2%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.4%)	10.9	507^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.0%		14.3	509^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.9%	2	47.1	50.0	47.6	58.8	52.2	57.1	31.0	$16,503	$1,680	$14,822
Capitol View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	320 E. 16th	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8402	505	44	11.5	94.5%	119 (23.6%)	75 (14.9%)	275 (54.5%)	16 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.0%)	5.3	532^nd of 557 public elementary schools	4.5%		5.2	542^nd of 565 public elementary schools	4.1%	10	33.3	50.7	46.0	50.0	50.7	38.1	31.7	$18,793	$3,389	$15,405
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
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
Brubaker Elementary School	Public	K-5	2900 E 42nd Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8405	622	52	11.8	85.2%	259 (41.6%)	123 (19.8%)	168 (27.0%)	18 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (8.5%)	2.6	547^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.8%		6.5	536^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.1%	11	33.7	51.4	31.3	44.6	34.9	32.5	25.0	$16,004	$1,458	$14,547
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Phillips Elementary

Is Phillips Elementary a good school?

Phillips Elementary ranks in the bottom 9.5% of Iowa elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Phillips Elementary attend?

Students who attend Phillips Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : East High School

What is the racial makeup of Phillips Elementary?

Students at Phillips Elementary are 55% White, 29% Hispanic, 10% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What district is Phillips Elementary in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

How many students attend Phillips Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 258 students attended Phillips Elementary.

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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.