Roosevelt High School

Summary:

Roosevelt High School is a public high school located in Des Moines, Iowa, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 1,986 students. 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.

Roosevelt High School stands out for its racial diversity, with a student population that is 46.63% White, 24.32% African American, 16.97% Hispanic, and 3.02% Asian. The school consistently outperforms the district and state averages in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 63.8% of 10th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 50.9% for the district and 73.8% for the state. However, despite its strong academic performance, Roosevelt High School has a relatively low statewide ranking, ranging from 182 to 290 out of 338 Iowa high schools over the past 10 years.

The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 53.02% to 55.91% over the past three school years, which is higher than the nearby schools. Additionally, Roosevelt High School has a relatively high student-teacher ratio, ranging from 29.4 to 29.9 over the past three school years, which is higher than the nearby schools, such as Johnston Senior High School and Urbandale High School, which have significantly higher test scores and statewide rankings.

Detail:

Public 9-12

4419 Center St
Des Moines, IA 50312

(515) 242-7272

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
290^th of 338 Iowa High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,829

Feeder schools for Roosevelt High School:

Elementary:	Cowles Elementary School
	Downtown School
	Edmunds Elementary School
	Greenwood Elementary School
	More...
	Hanawalt Elementary
	Hubbell Elementary
	King Elementary School
	Perkins Elementary School
	Walnut Street School
	Windsor Elementary
Middle:	Callanan Middle School
	Merrill Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 30.5

Number of students: 2,039

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.0%

African American:

25.3%

Hispanic:

17.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 47.9%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Roosevelt High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Roosevelt High School ranks worse than 85.8% of high schools in Iowa. It also ranks first among 5 ranked high schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.51. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Roosevelt High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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 Student population at Roosevelt High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (44%), African American (25.3%), Hispanic (17.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 47.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Roosevelt High School is 30.5, which is the highest among 5 high schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Roosevelt High School employs 66.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Roosevelt High School is $14,829, which is the lowest among 5 high schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Roosevelt High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Roosevelt High School 290^th of 338 Iowa public high schools. (See Roosevelt High School in the ranking list.)

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 Roosevelt High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	39.36	261^st	351	25.6%
2013	50.02	218^th	351	37.9%
2014	38.37	237^th	322	26.4%
2015	51.94	182^nd	324	43.8%
2016	22.42	266^th	320	16.9%
2017	41.12	232^nd	325	28.6%
2018	17.05	289^th	320	9.7%
2019	27.01	267^th	327	18.3%
2021	31.13	257^th	327	21.4%
2022	34.95	239^th	332	28.0%
2023	22.81	286^th	336	14.9%
2024	22.51	290^th	338	14.2%

See the entire list of Iowa High 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 Roosevelt High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1088	284	73	15	6	n/a	n/a	0	1466
1989	1017	255	81	10	12	n/a	n/a	0	1375
1990	975	221	108	8	3	n/a	n/a	0	1315
1991	938	203	116	14	4	n/a	n/a	0	1275
1992	988	189	124	9	6	n/a	n/a	0	1316
1993	1063	188	145	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	1407
1994	1044	226	146	17	4	n/a	n/a	0	1437
1995	1121	303	123	17	5	n/a	n/a	0	1569
1996	1121	303	123	17	5	n/a	n/a	0	1569
1997	1148	302	101	23	7	n/a	n/a	0	1581
1998	1162	301	80	26	6	n/a	n/a	0	1575
1999	1178	296	77	28	4	n/a	n/a	0	1583
2000	1195	302	68	32	5	n/a	n/a	0	1602
2001	1177	293	62	49	6	n/a	n/a	0	1587
2002	1115	353	61	70	11	n/a	n/a	0	1610
2003	1115	353	61	70	11	n/a	n/a	0	1610
2004	1061	374	51	83	14	n/a	n/a	0	1583
2005	1035	375	48	91	15	n/a	n/a	0	1564
2006	1034	382	52	107	12	n/a	n/a	0	1587
2007	1034	410	43	120	8	n/a	n/a	0	1615
2008	1025	449	54	133	5	n/a	n/a	0	1666
2009	951	380	49	112	6	n/a	n/a	0	1498
2010	947	395	53	152	2	3	102	0	1654
2011	963	362	64	134	2	3	108	0	1636
2012	957	357	70	164	2	2	107	0	1659
2013	932	361	75	175	4	2	112	0	1661
2014	935	388	80	189	4	5	115	0	1716
2015	953	435	92	217	8	4	118	0	1827
2016	932	409	96	218	6	5	127	0	1793
2017	988	443	90	254	5	3	142	0	1925
2018	970	472	85	266	0	3	147	0	1943
2019	976	495	99	293	1	4	146	0	2014
2020	1024	525	88	321	3	2	157	0	2120
2021	995	524	68	331	6	5	157	0	2086
2022	945	539	62	345	5	7	161	0	2064
2023	926	483	60	337	6	6	165	3	1986
2024	898	515	71	353	10	7	173	12	2039

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 Roosevelt High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1466	81.2	18.0	18.8
1989	1375	75.8	18.1	16.8
1990	1315	68.0	19.3	16
1991	1275	98.3	12.9	14
1992	1316	84.0	15.6	15.7
1993	1407	85.2	16.5	14.3
1994	1437	103.9	13.8	15.2
1995	1569	83.6	18.8	19.8
1996	1569	83.6	18.8	19.8
1997	1581	83.6	18.9	21.3
1998	1575	83.6	18.8	23.9
1999	1583	72.5	21.8	28.9
2000	1602	83.6	19.2	27.3
2001	1587	84.2	18.8	25.5
2002	1610	83.8	19.2	23.9
2003	1610	83.8	19.2	23.9
2004	1583	90.0	17.6	24.1
2005	1564	76.1	20.6	33.6
2006	1587	77.2	20.6	36.4
2007	1615	74.7	21.6	30.3
2008	1666	77.1	21.6	39.1
2009	1498	77.8	19.3	30.9
2010	1654	74.7	22.1	41.1
2011	1636	73.0	22.4	41.6
2012	1659	76.4	21.7	45.3
2013	1661	76.5	21.7	46.9
2014	1716	77.3	22.1	44.7
2015	1827	84.0	21.7	51.1
2016	1793	86.0	20.8	52.6
2017	1925	83.1	23.1	48.6
2018	1943	79.6	24.4	50.4
2019	2014	74.6	26.9	53.7
2020	2120	68.1	31.1	55.1
2021	2086	70.3	29.6	55.6
2022	2064	70.1	29.4	55.9
2023	1986	66.3	29.9	53
2024	2039	66.8	30.5	47.9

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 Roosevelt High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1466	81.2	18.0	18.8
1989	1375	75.8	18.1	16.8
1990	1315	68.0	19.3	16
1991	1275	98.3	12.9	14
1992	1316	84.0	15.6	15.7
1993	1407	85.2	16.5	14.3
1994	1437	103.9	13.8	15.2
1995	1569	83.6	18.8	19.8
1996	1569	83.6	18.8	19.8
1997	1581	83.6	18.9	21.3
1998	1575	83.6	18.8	23.9
1999	1583	72.5	21.8	28.9
2000	1602	83.6	19.2	27.3
2001	1587	84.2	18.8	25.5
2002	1610	83.8	19.2	23.9
2003	1610	83.8	19.2	23.9
2004	1583	90.0	17.6	24.1
2005	1564	76.1	20.6	33.6
2006	1587	77.2	20.6	36.4
2007	1615	74.7	21.6	30.3
2008	1666	77.1	21.6	39.1
2009	1498	77.8	19.3	30.9
2010	1654	74.7	22.1	41.1
2011	1636	73.0	22.4	41.6
2012	1659	76.4	21.7	45.3
2013	1661	76.5	21.7	46.9
2014	1716	77.3	22.1	44.7
2015	1827	84.0	21.7	51.1
2016	1793	86.0	20.8	52.6
2017	1925	83.1	23.1	48.6
2018	1943	79.6	24.4	50.4
2019	2014	74.6	26.9	53.7
2020	2120	68.1	31.1	55.1
2021	2086	70.3	29.6	55.6
2022	2064	70.1	29.4	55.9
2023	1986	66.3	29.9	53
2024	2039	66.8	30.5	47.9

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 Roosevelt High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$690 (4.7%)	$14,140 (95.4%)	$14,829

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Roosevelt High 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 267^th of 327 High schools	Ranks 286^th of 336 High schools	3.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Roosevelt High School)	67.2	63.3	3.9%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	53.3	54.4	1.1%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	74.3	72.9	1.4%
10th Grade Mathematics (Roosevelt High School)	67.5	59.3	8.2%
10th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.5	45.7	2.8%
10th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	67.1	67	0.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Roosevelt High School)	55.6	63	7.4%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	44.3	50.2	5.9%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	71.4	68.7	2.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Roosevelt High School)	52.4	58.9	6.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	38.9	43.7	4.8%
11th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	66.9	67.3	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	2014	1986	1.4%
African American	495	483	2.4%
American Indian	1	6	500%
Asian	99	60	39.4%
Hispanic	293	337	15%
Pacific Islander	4	6	50%
White	976	926	5.1%
Two or More Races	146	165	13%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	53.7%	53%	0.7%

Schools Near Roosevelt High 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 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Roosevelt High School	Public	9-12	4419 Center St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7272	2,039	67	30.5	47.9%	898 (44.0%)	515 (25.3%)	353 (17.3%)	71 (3.5%)	10 (0.5%)	7 (0.3%)	173 (8.5%)	22.5	290^th of 338 public high schools	14.2%		22.8	286^th of 336 public high schools	14.9%	4	66.7	63.8	60.2	56.3	57.5	53.9	43.5	$14,829	$690	$14,140
Walnut Creek Campus	Public	9-12	1020 8th Street	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6480	165	14	11.7	52.1%	89 (53.9%)	26 (15.8%)	29 (17.6%)	2 (1.2%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (10.9%)	1.2	328^th of 338 public high schools	3.0%		4	325^th of 336 public high schools	3.3%	3	50.0	47.2	39.3	10.0	22.2	17.9	28.6	$18,513	$197	$18,315
Virtual Campus	Public, Virtual	9-12	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(515) 242-8502	387	21	18.7	64.1%	190 (49.1%)	44 (11.4%)	104 (26.9%)	15 (3.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.2%)	8.9	314^th of 338 public high schools	7.1%		5.2	322^nd of 336 public high schools	4.2%	8	52.1	64.3	61.1	33.3	40.0	30.1	34.3
Hoover High School	Public	9-12	4800 Aurora Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7300	923	41	22.5	69.7%	174 (18.9%)	303 (32.8%)	231 (25.0%)	149 (16.1%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (6.2%)	4.8	321^st of 338 public high schools	5.0%		7.8	316^th of 336 public high schools	6.0%	5	42.2	55.6	48.3	28.8	43.1	38.9	38.1	$17,790	$689	$17,101
North High School	Public	9-12	501 Holcomb Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7200	1,514	68	22.2	75.0%	301 (19.9%)	387 (25.6%)	558 (36.9%)	161 (10.6%)	11 (0.7%)	4 (0.3%)	91 (6.0%)	2.2	325^th of 338 public high schools	3.8%		2.1	329^th of 336 public high schools	2.1%	4	46.0	46.4	41.2	36.0	39.4	30.9	27.2	$15,636	$747	$14,889
Lincoln High School	Public	9-12	2600 SW 9th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7500	2,441	89	27.2	66.3%	815 (33.4%)	382 (15.6%)	911 (37.3%)	188 (7.7%)	8 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	130 (5.3%)	2.7	324^th of 338 public high schools	4.1%		4.5	324^th of 336 public high schools	3.6%		43.4	45.1	47.4	30.9	37.2	37.8	33.1	$14,888	$697	$14,190
Urbandale High School	Public	9-12	7111 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 457-6800	1,311	93	14.0	34.3%	856 (65.3%)	91 (6.9%)	206 (15.7%)	78 (5.9%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (5.6%)	34.3	263^rd of 338 public high schools	22.2%		43.5	219^th of 336 public high schools	34.8%	44	74.8	70.7	62.7	57.0	64.7	56.8	51.7	$11,428	$388	$11,040
Valley High School	Public	10-12	3650 Woodland Ave	West Des Moines	50266	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4000	2,111	123	17.1	26.7%	1,226 (58.1%)	244 (11.6%)	405 (19.2%)	110 (5.2%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	121 (5.7%)	46.7	212^th of 338 public high schools	37.3%		55.2	162^nd of 336 public high schools	51.8%	50		74.1	70.3		66.8	68.2	56.9	$15,551	$791	$14,760
East High School	Public	9-12	815 E 13th St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7788	2,014	85	23.5	69.5%	501 (24.9%)	332 (16.5%)	915 (45.4%)	134 (6.7%)	13 (0.6%)	6 (0.3%)	110 (5.5%)	2.1	326^th of 338 public high schools	3.6%		2.6	328^th of 336 public high schools	2.4%	2	41.8	43.8	47.7	28.4	33.4	38.3	27.3	$14,908	$672	$14,236
Saydel High School	Public	9-12	5601 NE 7th St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 262-9325	440	29	15.0	58.4%	307 (69.8%)	4 (0.9%)	91 (20.7%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.5%)	12.6	308^th of 338 public high schools	8.9%		8.5	313^th of 336 public high schools	6.8%	5	51.5	61.4	40.4	40.6	60.2	46.3	42.1	$15,532	$350	$15,182

Frequently Asked Questions about Roosevelt High School

What schools feed into Roosevelt High School?

Roosevelt High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cowles Elementary School
Elementary : Downtown School
Elementary : Edmunds Elementary School
Elementary : Greenwood Elementary School
Elementary : Hanawalt Elementary
Elementary : Hubbell Elementary
Elementary : King Elementary School
Elementary : Perkins Elementary School
Elementary : Walnut Street School
Elementary : Windsor Elementary
Middle : Callanan Middle School
Middle : Merrill Middle School

What district is Roosevelt High School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

How many students attend Roosevelt High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 2,039 students attended Roosevelt High School.

Is Roosevelt High School a good school?

Roosevelt High School ranks in the bottom 14.2% of Iowa high schools.

What is the racial makeup of Roosevelt High School?

Students at Roosevelt High School are 44% White, 25% African American, 17% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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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.