Willard Elementary School

Summary:

Willard Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 286 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.

Willard Elementary has a diverse student population, with 34.62% White, 14.34% African American, 37.41% Hispanic, 4.2% Asian, and 8.39% two or more races. However, the school's test scores, as measured by the ISASP, are generally lower than the state and district averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 47.1% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district average of 43.1% and the state average of 64.2%. Willard Elementary also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 90.21% to 94.56% over the past three school years, significantly higher than the nearby schools.

Willard Elementary's statewide ranking has been declining over the years, from 418 out of 567 Iowa elementary schools in the 2020-2021 school year to 507 out of 557 in the 2023-2024 school year. When compared to the nearby schools in the same district, such as McKinley Elementary School and Carver Elementary, Willard Elementary generally performs worse on standardized test scores. The combination of lower academic performance and high poverty concentration at Willard Elementary may present unique challenges for the school and district in terms of providing targeted support and resources to address the specific needs of the students.

Detail:

Public K-5

2941 Dean Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50317

(515) 242-8439

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
507^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,503

Students who attend Willard Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hoyt Middle School
High:	East High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.8

Number of students: 286

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

37.4%

White:

34.6%

African American:

14.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 90.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Willard Elementary School ranks worse than 91% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 18^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 10.86. (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 Willard 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 Willard Elementary School is $16,503, which is the 15^th highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Willard 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 Willard Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	21.19	564^th	626	9.9%
2013	9.19	590^th	624	5.4%
2014	15.45	543^rd	603	10.0%
2015	14.45	552^nd	616	10.4%
2016	13.47	540^th	599	9.8%
2017	9.09	531^st	574	7.5%
2018	14.39	503^rd	567	11.3%
2019	30.22	468^th	603	22.4%
2021	33.58	418^th	567	26.3%
2022	22.14	483^rd	574	15.9%
2023	14.32	509^th	565	9.9%
2024	10.86	507^th	557	9.0%

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 Willard Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	405	28	5	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	442
1989	377	35	12	10	4	n/a	n/a	0	438
1990	419	14	3	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	447
1991	416	21	5	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	452
1992	426	19	3	7	3	n/a	n/a	0	458
1993	458	30	2	7	2	n/a	n/a	0	499
1994	416	21	16	8	10	n/a	n/a	0	471
1995	368	22	16	62	13	n/a	n/a	0	481
1996	368	22	16	62	13	n/a	n/a	0	481
1997	357	16	22	81	9	n/a	n/a	0	485
1998	328	23	16	91	6	n/a	n/a	0	464
1999	301	26	12	96	4	n/a	n/a	0	439
2000	304	19	11	131	4	n/a	n/a	-19	450
2001	290	40	26	104	2	n/a	n/a	0	462
2002	242	34	20	101	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
2003	242	34	20	101	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
2004	218	43	22	108	0	n/a	n/a	0	391
2005	219	35	17	128	1	n/a	n/a	0	400
2006	212	32	19	142	0	n/a	n/a	0	405
2007	209	40	21	159	2	n/a	n/a	0	431
2008	231	51	21	123	2	n/a	n/a	0	428
2009	251	67	25	115	2	n/a	n/a	0	460
2010	214	67	18	137	2	0	26	0	464
2011	218	80	13	157	4	0	24	0	496
2012	193	70	15	162	2	0	28	0	470
2013	201	69	13	144	3	0	24	0	454
2014	201	66	15	151	2	1	29	0	465
2015	191	50	14	147	0	0	27	0	429
2016	175	47	21	147	0	0	20	0	410
2017	169	24	19	119	3	2	19	0	355
2018	165	41	14	110	1	5	26	0	362
2019	157	35	22	104	0	1	29	0	348
2020	144	41	15	98	1	0	25	0	324
2021	125	34	15	97	1	0	22	0	294
2022	102	34	14	93	0	0	19	0	262
2023	99	41	12	107	3	0	24	0	286

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 Willard Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	442	25.8	17.1	50.7
1989	438	20.5	21.3	44.5
1990	447	25.2	17.7	44.7
1991	452	33.6	13.4	50.7
1992	458	32.0	14.3	52.8
1993	499	33.4	14.9	42.9
1994	471	39.5	11.9	47.6
1995	481	32.9	14.6	52.8
1996	481	32.9	14.6	52.8
1997	485	32.9	14.7	56.7
1998	464	32.9	14.1	61
1999	439	32.1	13.7	77
2000	450	37.7	11.9	67.4
2001	462	37.5	12.3	74.9
2002	397	35.0	11.3	95.2
2003	397	35.0	11.3	95.2
2004	391	32.5	12.0	83.4
2005	400	28.5	14.0	79
2006	405	31.1	13.0	89.4
2007	431	31.5	13.7	79.4
2008	428	31.1	13.8	90.4
2009	460	33.4	13.8	83.9
2010	464	34.4	13.4	88.6
2011	496	36.0	13.7	82.1
2012	470	36.0	13.0	99.4
2013	454	35.0	12.9	94.9
2014	465	36.0	12.9	94.6
2015	429	36.0	11.9	90.7
2016	410	35.0	11.7	90.2
2017	355	31.5	11.2	87.9
2018	362	29.9	12.1	88.1
2019	348	30.0	11.6	89.1
2020	324	27.3	11.8	90.7
2021	294	28.4	10.3	94.6
2022	262	25.3	10.3	91.6
2023	286	24.1	11.8	90.2

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 Willard Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	442	25.8	17.1	50.7
1989	438	20.5	21.3	44.5
1990	447	25.2	17.7	44.7
1991	452	33.6	13.4	50.7
1992	458	32.0	14.3	52.8
1993	499	33.4	14.9	42.9
1994	471	39.5	11.9	47.6
1995	481	32.9	14.6	52.8
1996	481	32.9	14.6	52.8
1997	485	32.9	14.7	56.7
1998	464	32.9	14.1	61
1999	439	32.1	13.7	77
2000	450	37.7	11.9	67.4
2001	462	37.5	12.3	74.9
2002	397	35.0	11.3	95.2
2003	397	35.0	11.3	95.2
2004	391	32.5	12.0	83.4
2005	400	28.5	14.0	79
2006	405	31.1	13.0	89.4
2007	431	31.5	13.7	79.4
2008	428	31.1	13.8	90.4
2009	460	33.4	13.8	83.9
2010	464	34.4	13.4	88.6
2011	496	36.0	13.7	82.1
2012	470	36.0	13.0	99.4
2013	454	35.0	12.9	94.9
2014	465	36.0	12.9	94.6
2015	429	36.0	11.9	90.7
2016	410	35.0	11.7	90.2
2017	355	31.5	11.2	87.9
2018	362	29.9	12.1	88.1
2019	348	30.0	11.6	89.1
2020	324	27.3	11.8	90.7
2021	294	28.4	10.3	94.6
2022	262	25.3	10.3	91.6
2023	286	24.1	11.8	90.2

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 Willard Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,680 (10.2%)	$14,822 (89.8%)	$16,503

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Willard 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 468^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 509^th of 565 Elementary schools	12.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Willard Elementary School)	64.3	42	22.3%
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 (Willard Elementary School)	85.7	52	33.7%
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 (Willard Elementary School)	60.4	59.5	0.9%
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 (Willard Elementary School)	64.2	43.2	21%
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 (Willard Elementary School)	44.1	61	16.9%
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 (Willard Elementary School)	51.5	56.1	4.6%
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	348	286	17.8%
African American	35	41	17.1%
American Indian	0	3
Asian	22	12	45.5%
Hispanic	104	107	2.9%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	157	99	36.9%
Two or More Races	29	24	17.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	89.1%	90.2%	1.1%

Schools Near Willard 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 Willard Elementary School

How many students attend Willard Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 286 students attended Willard Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Willard Elementary School?

Students at Willard Elementary School are 37% Hispanic, 35% White, 14% African American, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 1% American Indian.

What district is Willard Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

Is Willard Elementary School a good school?

Willard Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.0% of Iowa elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Willard Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Hoyt Middle School
High : East High 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.