Pleasant Hill Elementary School

Q: Is Pleasant Hill Elementary School a good school?

Pleasant Hill Elementary School ranks 389 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Pleasant Hill Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 213 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. While the school generally outperforms the Des Moines Independent Community School District and the state of Iowa in academic measures, it has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the years.

One key differentiator of Pleasant Hill Elementary is its student racial makeup, with a higher percentage of White students (63.38%) compared to nearby schools like River Woods Elementary and Garton Elementary, which have more diverse student populations. Additionally, Pleasant Hill Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 63.41% to 68.54% over the past three school years, which is higher than the nearby Southeast Polk Community School District schools.

Despite these differences, Pleasant Hill Elementary has a higher per-student spending of $15,655 compared to the nearby schools, which range from $12,723 to $18,793 per student. This, coupled with the school's relatively high free and reduced-price lunch rates, suggests that the school may be serving a more economically disadvantaged student population, which could be a contributing factor to its performance. Further analysis of the school's specific strategies and resources, as well as the socioeconomic factors affecting its student population, could provide valuable insights into how to support the school's continued improvement.

Detail:

Public K-5

4801 E Oakwood Dr
Des Moines, IA 50327

(515) 242-8432

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
389^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,655

Students who attend Pleasant Hill Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hoyt Middle School
High:	East High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.1

Number of students: 213

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.4%

Hispanic:

21.6%

African American:

7.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 68.5%

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Compare Pleasant Hill Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Pleasant Hill Elementary School ranks worse than 69.8% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 8^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 39.51. (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 Pleasant Hill 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 Pleasant Hill Elementary School is $15,655. 27 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Pleasant Hill 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.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Pleasant Hill Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	43.75	428^th	626	31.6%
2013	52.69	350^th	624	43.9%
2014	46.81	401^st	603	33.5%
2015	68.61	200^th	616	67.5%
2016	66.83	214^th	599	64.3%
2017	60.44	265^th	574	53.8%
2018	63.94	228^th	567	59.8%
2019	46.51	361^st	603	40.1%
2021	23.92	466^th	567	17.8%
2022	26.76	460^th	574	19.9%
2023	25.73	459^th	565	18.8%
2024	39.51	389^th	557	30.2%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Thursday, June 23, 2022

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Enrollment information for Pleasant Hill Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	287	7	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	300
1989	295	5	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	308
1990	281	5	6	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	296
1991	301	3	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	314
1992	303	2	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	312
1993	304	1	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	311
1994	281	1	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	286
1995	338	8	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	356
1996	338	8	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	356
1997	299	6	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	315
1998	285	6	4	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	302
1999	272	5	2	7	5	n/a	n/a	0	291
2000	310	7	4	7	0	n/a	n/a	-21	307
2001	285	12	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
2002	284	13	5	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	320
2003	284	13	5	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	320
2004	278	13	3	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	307
2005	277	13	4	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	303
2006	285	13	5	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	316
2007	296	14	6	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	328
2008	317	8	5	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	348
2009	275	8	11	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	315
2010	266	7	4	20	1	1	11	0	310
2011	258	12	3	22	2	2	11	0	310
2012	268	11	6	21	1	3	13	0	323
2013	248	10	6	26	2	2	18	0	312
2014	229	12	5	36	3	2	22	0	309
2015	224	10	4	42	1	2	26	0	309
2016	230	6	3	48	1	1	26	0	315
2017	187	5	3	37	2	1	20	0	255
2018	192	8	3	39	1	2	24	0	269
2019	186	8	2	43	0	1	21	0	261
2020	162	12	1	39	0	1	18	0	233
2021	135	14	1	38	0	1	16	0	205
2022	132	14	2	49	1	1	16	0	215
2023	135	15	3	46	0	1	13	0	213

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 Pleasant Hill Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	300	13.9	21.5	4.7
1989	308	1.1	280.0	4.5
1990	296	14.6	20.2	5.4
1991	314	14.7	21.3	6.4
1992	312	18.0	17.3	28.8
1993	311	19.8	15.7	4.2
1994	286	20.5	14.0	7.3
1995	356	15.1	23.6	5.6
1996	356	15.1	23.6	5.6
1997	315	15.1	20.9	10.2
1998	302	15.1	20.0	10.3
1999	291	15.1	19.3	16.2
2000	307	20.1	15.3	14
2001	307	19.5	15.7	17.3
2002	320	18.3	17.5	20.3
2003	320	18.3	17.5	20.3
2004	307	20.3	15.1	21.2
2005	303	18.7	16.2	26.1
2006	316	18.3	17.3	29.7
2007	328	18.9	17.4	27.7
2008	348	21.1	16.5	31.9
2009	315	19.9	15.8	35.6
2010	310	18.9	16.4	36.1
2011	310	18.5	16.7	42.3
2012	323	19.5	16.5	46.4
2013	312	18.5	16.8	46.2
2014	309	18.0	17.1	46
2015	309	18.0	17.1	51.1
2016	315	20.0	15.7	57.1
2017	255	17.9	14.2	55.3
2018	269	17.6	15.2	61
2019	261	17.4	15.0	62.5
2020	233	16.9	13.7	63.5
2021	205	16.7	12.2	63.4
2022	215	17.7	12.1	64.7
2023	213	19.1	11.1	68.5

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 Pleasant Hill Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	300	13.9	21.5	4.7
1989	308	1.1	280.0	4.5
1990	296	14.6	20.2	5.4
1991	314	14.7	21.3	6.4
1992	312	18.0	17.3	28.8
1993	311	19.8	15.7	4.2
1994	286	20.5	14.0	7.3
1995	356	15.1	23.6	5.6
1996	356	15.1	23.6	5.6
1997	315	15.1	20.9	10.2
1998	302	15.1	20.0	10.3
1999	291	15.1	19.3	16.2
2000	307	20.1	15.3	14
2001	307	19.5	15.7	17.3
2002	320	18.3	17.5	20.3
2003	320	18.3	17.5	20.3
2004	307	20.3	15.1	21.2
2005	303	18.7	16.2	26.1
2006	316	18.3	17.3	29.7
2007	328	18.9	17.4	27.7
2008	348	21.1	16.5	31.9
2009	315	19.9	15.8	35.6
2010	310	18.9	16.4	36.1
2011	310	18.5	16.7	42.3
2012	323	19.5	16.5	46.4
2013	312	18.5	16.8	46.2
2014	309	18.0	17.1	46
2015	309	18.0	17.1	51.1
2016	315	20.0	15.7	57.1
2017	255	17.9	14.2	55.3
2018	269	17.6	15.2	61
2019	261	17.4	15.0	62.5
2020	233	16.9	13.7	63.5
2021	205	16.7	12.2	63.4
2022	215	17.7	12.1	64.7
2023	213	19.1	11.1	68.5

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 Pleasant Hill Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$628 (4.0%)	$15,027 (96.0%)	$15,655

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pleasant Hill 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 361^st of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 459^th of 565 Elementary schools	21.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Pleasant Hill Elementary School)	60	62.1	2.1%
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 (Pleasant Hill Elementary School)	57.8	62.1	4.3%
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 (Pleasant Hill Elementary School)	61.1	76.7	15.6%
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 (Pleasant Hill Elementary School)	77.8	56.7	21.1%
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 (Pleasant Hill Elementary School)	74.5	53.1	21.4%
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 (Pleasant Hill Elementary School)	74.5	53.1	21.4%
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	261	213	18.4%
African American	8	15	87.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	2	3	50%
Hispanic	43	46	7%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	186	135	27.4%
Two or More Races	21	13	38.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	62.5%	68.5%	6.1%

Schools Near Pleasant Hill 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
Pleasant Hill Elementary School	Public	K-5	4801 E Oakwood Dr	Des Moines	50327	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8432	213	19	11.1	68.5%	135 (63.4%)	15 (7.0%)	46 (21.6%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (6.1%)	39.5	389^th of 557 public elementary schools	30.2%		25.7	459^th of 565 public elementary schools	18.8%	70	51.5	72.0	74.3	63.6	60.0	62.9	62.9	$15,655	$628	$15,027
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
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
Four Mile Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	670 SE 68th St	Pleasant Hill	50327	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 265-1972	483	31	15.5	35.6%	357 (73.9%)	20 (4.1%)	64 (13.3%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	26 (5.4%)	69.2	169^th of 557 public elementary schools	69.7%		78.1	102^nd of 565 public elementary schools	81.9%	67	74.7	82.6	69.1	91.1	92.8	76.5	52.9	$13,837	$290	$13,547
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
River Woods Elementary School	Public	K-5	2929 SE 22nd St	Des Moines	50320	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8433	496	39	12.6	89.7%	51 (10.3%)	97 (19.6%)	224 (45.2%)	95 (19.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.0%)	7.7	521^st of 557 public elementary schools	6.5%		18.7	489^th of 565 public elementary schools	13.5%	32	41.7	44.3	45.6	47.2	31.6	61.8	33.8	$15,278	$1,674	$13,604
Delaware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 E 46th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 262-3197	398	33	12.0	43.5%	262 (65.8%)	47 (11.8%)	39 (9.8%)	28 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.5%)	72.2	138^th of 557 public elementary schools	75.2%		76.7	109^th of 565 public elementary schools	80.7%	29	80.3	80.3	76.6	88.5	77.8	73.4	71.0	$15,865	$1,352	$14,513
Clay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3200 First Avenue S.	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-4198	657	38	17.5	30.1%	463 (70.5%)	68 (10.4%)	69 (10.5%)	12 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.5%)	61	242^nd of 557 public elementary schools	56.6%		61.2	231^st of 565 public elementary schools	59.1%	11	64.3	68.4	82.0	76.5	76.8	76.0	69.0	$12,723	$186	$12,537
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Pleasant Hill Elementary School

Is Pleasant Hill Elementary School a good school?

Pleasant Hill Elementary School ranks 389^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Pleasant Hill Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Pleasant Hill Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hoyt Middle School
High : East High School

What is the racial makeup of Pleasant Hill Elementary School?

Students at Pleasant Hill Elementary School are 63% White, 22% Hispanic, 7% African American, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Pleasant Hill Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 213 students attended Pleasant Hill Elementary School.

What district is Pleasant Hill Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

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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.