Stowe Elementary School

Summary:

Stowe Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 313 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.

Stowe Elementary School consistently performs below the district and state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 28.1% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 43.1% for the district and 64.2% for the state. The school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 85.67% to 87.92% over the past three school years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. Stowe Elementary School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking between 544 and 596 out of 567 to 616 schools over the past 10 school years.

While Stowe Elementary School struggles academically, some of the nearby schools within the same district, such as Cattell Elementary School and Carver Elementary, perform significantly better on standardized tests, with higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics. This suggests that factors beyond just the district-level policies and resources may be contributing to the differences in academic performance. The relatively low spending per student at Stowe Elementary School ($17,791 in 2018-2019) compared to some of the nearby schools, as well as the school's low ranking and academic performance, suggest that the allocation and distribution of resources within the district may be an area of concern that warrants further investigation.

Detail:

Public K-5

1411 E 33rd St
Des Moines, IA 50317

(515) 242-8435

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
548^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,791

Students who attend Stowe Elementary School usually attend:

High:

East High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.2

Number of students: 313

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.3%

Hispanic:

32.9%

African American:

18.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 87.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Stowe Elementary School ranks worse than 98.4% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 35^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 1.99. (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 Stowe 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 Stowe Elementary School is $17,791, which is the 7^th highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Stowe 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 Stowe Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	1.69	622^nd	626	0.6%
2013	4.59	607^th	624	2.7%
2014	1.54	596^th	603	1.2%
2015	4.55	591^st	616	4.1%
2016	6.08	575^th	599	4.0%
2017	3.81	548^th	574	4.5%
2018	4.63	544^th	567	4.1%
2019	3.97	587^th	603	2.7%
2021	1.47	564^th	567	0.5%
2022	1.35	569^th	574	0.9%
2023	2.23	558^th	565	1.2%
2024	1.99	548^th	557	1.6%

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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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Stowe Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	351	7	4	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	368
1989	397	9	4	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	419
1990	393	7	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	407
1991	411	10	1	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	429
1992	397	12	0	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	415
1993	394	13	1	4	4	n/a	n/a	0	416
1994	370	15	1	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	400
1995	388	18	5	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	419
1996	388	18	5	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	419
1997	343	20	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	373
1998	322	14	7	3	7	n/a	n/a	0	353
1999	306	8	8	3	6	n/a	n/a	0	331
2000	342	10	10	9	7	n/a	n/a	-24	354
2001	301	7	10	8	6	n/a	n/a	0	332
2002	275	16	13	10	7	n/a	n/a	0	321
2003	275	16	13	10	7	n/a	n/a	0	321
2004	269	19	7	14	4	n/a	n/a	0	313
2005	246	14	6	16	6	n/a	n/a	0	288
2006	252	17	6	21	5	n/a	n/a	0	301
2007	224	26	4	19	5	n/a	n/a	0	278
2008	252	33	7	52	5	n/a	n/a	0	349
2009	264	30	7	57	4	n/a	n/a	0	362
2010	260	38	9	87	1	0	13	0	408
2011	271	34	8	91	0	0	12	0	416
2012	231	30	8	110	0	0	10	0	389
2013	194	35	13	108	1	0	11	0	362
2014	189	37	13	104	2	0	18	0	363
2015	187	38	12	105	3	0	20	0	365
2016	188	47	10	107	3	0	19	0	374
2017	182	49	13	129	2	1	23	0	399
2018	174	45	9	112	4	0	23	0	367
2019	172	53	14	105	4	0	23	0	371
2020	145	56	18	114	3	0	23	0	359
2021	120	46	15	97	2	0	18	0	298
2022	124	56	17	93	2	0	15	0	307
2023	126	57	11	103	2	1	13	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 Stowe Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	368	22.4	16.4	39.4
1989	419	17.5	23.9	37.9
1990	407	24.4	16.6	33.9
1991	429	26.0	16.5	41.5
1992	415	28.0	14.8	44.6
1993	416	29.0	14.3	46.2
1994	400	35.0	11.4	50
1995	419	26.8	15.6	46.3
1996	419	26.8	15.6	46.3
1997	373	26.8	13.9	40.8
1998	353	26.8	13.2	39.1
1999	331	22.5	14.7	51.4
2000	354	25.6	13.8	42.6
2001	332	26.9	12.3	53.9
2002	321	24.2	13.3	63.2
2003	321	24.2	13.3	63.2
2004	313	25.4	12.3	65.2
2005	288	22.4	12.9	65.3
2006	301	24.6	12.2	70.8
2007	278	23.8	11.7	74.8
2008	349	25.6	13.6	81.1
2009	362	28.4	12.7	73.5
2010	408	30.9	13.1	79.9
2011	416	31.0	13.4	84.1
2012	389	32.0	12.1	82.5
2013	362	31.5	11.4	85.4
2014	363	31.9	11.3	80.4
2015	365	34.0	10.7	85.2
2016	374	34.0	11.0	83.7
2017	399	32.5	12.2	83
2018	367	30.6	11.9	85.3
2019	371	33.1	11.2	88.9
2020	359	31.6	11.3	89.1
2021	298	31.3	9.5	87.9
2022	307	27.3	11.2	85.7
2023	313	25.5	12.2	87.5

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 Stowe Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	368	22.4	16.4	39.4
1989	419	17.5	23.9	37.9
1990	407	24.4	16.6	33.9
1991	429	26.0	16.5	41.5
1992	415	28.0	14.8	44.6
1993	416	29.0	14.3	46.2
1994	400	35.0	11.4	50
1995	419	26.8	15.6	46.3
1996	419	26.8	15.6	46.3
1997	373	26.8	13.9	40.8
1998	353	26.8	13.2	39.1
1999	331	22.5	14.7	51.4
2000	354	25.6	13.8	42.6
2001	332	26.9	12.3	53.9
2002	321	24.2	13.3	63.2
2003	321	24.2	13.3	63.2
2004	313	25.4	12.3	65.2
2005	288	22.4	12.9	65.3
2006	301	24.6	12.2	70.8
2007	278	23.8	11.7	74.8
2008	349	25.6	13.6	81.1
2009	362	28.4	12.7	73.5
2010	408	30.9	13.1	79.9
2011	416	31.0	13.4	84.1
2012	389	32.0	12.1	82.5
2013	362	31.5	11.4	85.4
2014	363	31.9	11.3	80.4
2015	365	34.0	10.7	85.2
2016	374	34.0	11.0	83.7
2017	399	32.5	12.2	83
2018	367	30.6	11.9	85.3
2019	371	33.1	11.2	88.9
2020	359	31.6	11.3	89.1
2021	298	31.3	9.5	87.9
2022	307	27.3	11.2	85.7
2023	313	25.5	12.2	87.5

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 Stowe Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,908 (10.7%)	$15,883 (89.3%)	$17,791

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Stowe 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 587^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 558^th of 565 Elementary schools	1.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Stowe Elementary School)	43.4	29.4	14%
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 (Stowe Elementary School)	43.4	35.3	8.1%
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 (Stowe Elementary School)	38	28.6	9.4%
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 (Stowe Elementary School)	48	32.1	15.9%
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 (Stowe Elementary School)	42.4	43.2	0.8%
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 (Stowe Elementary School)	34.8	45.5	10.7%
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	371	313	15.6%
African American	53	57	7.5%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	14	11	21.4%
Hispanic	105	103	1.9%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	172	126	26.7%
Two or More Races	23	13	43.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	88.9%	87.5%	1.4%

Schools Near Stowe 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Stowe Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Stowe Elementary School?

Students at Stowe Elementary School are 40% White, 33% Hispanic, 18% African American, 4% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Is Stowe Elementary School a good school?

Stowe Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.6% of Iowa elementary schools.

What district is Stowe Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What schools do graduates of Stowe Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Stowe Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : East High School

How many students attend Stowe Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 313 students attended Stowe Elementary School.

Rate Stowe 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.