Wright Elementary School

Summary:

Wright Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 273 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school faces several challenges, including consistently underperforming on standardized tests compared to state and district averages, a low ranking among Iowa elementary schools, and a high percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Academically, Wright Elementary School has struggled, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics below the state and district averages across all grade levels. For example, in 5th grade English Language Arts, the school's proficiency rate was 55.3%, compared to 50% for the district and 69% for the state. This has contributed to the school's 1-star rating and ranking of 466 out of 557 Iowa elementary schools. However, the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.4 students per teacher may indicate a focus on smaller class sizes and more individualized attention for students.

Interestingly, over the past three school years, Wright Elementary School has experienced a decline in enrollment, from 273 students in 2022-2023 to 273 students in 2020-2021. Additionally, the school's racial composition has shifted, with a decrease in the percentage of White students and an increase in the percentage of Hispanic students. When compared to other elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, Wright Elementary School generally underperforms in academic measures, though its student-teacher ratio is lower than some nearby schools.

Detail:

Public K-5

5001 SW 14th St
Des Moines, IA 50315

(515) 242-8442

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
466^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,928

Students who attend Wright Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Brody Middle School
High:	Lincoln High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 273

Racial breakdown:

White:

44.0%

Hispanic:

29.7%

African American:

12.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 83.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Wright Elementary School ranks worse than 83.7% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 12^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 21.34. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Wright Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (44%), Hispanic (29.7%), African American (12.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 83.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wright Elementary School is 13.4. 29 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Wright Elementary School employs 20.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wright Elementary School is $15,928. 26 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Wright 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 Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Wright Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	5.47	609^th	626	2.7%
2013	13.48	577^th	624	7.5%
2014	10.94	555^th	603	8.0%
2015	20.22	526^th	616	14.6%
2016	20.78	514^th	599	14.2%
2017	25.36	474^th	574	17.4%
2018	23.34	474^th	567	16.4%
2019	20.48	519^th	603	13.9%
2021	17.94	493^rd	567	13.1%
2022	9.57	533^rd	574	7.1%
2023	4.08	547^th	565	3.2%
2024	21.34	466^th	557	16.3%

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: 4.5)

50%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Wright Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	295	13	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	314
1989	291	11	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	310
1990	306	13	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	326
1991	295	17	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	322
1992	300	12	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	325
1993	309	13	4	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	335
1994	293	13	7	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	317
1995	309	17	8	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	348
1996	309	17	8	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	348
1997	289	12	6	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	324
1998	261	7	2	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	281
1999	291	6	2	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	310
2000	313	7	7	13	2	n/a	n/a	-30	312
2001	274	6	2	10	3	n/a	n/a	0	295
2002	249	12	5	16	9	n/a	n/a	0	291
2003	249	12	5	16	9	n/a	n/a	0	291
2004	250	12	6	18	13	n/a	n/a	0	299
2005	241	18	14	20	9	n/a	n/a	0	302
2006	254	22	13	21	9	n/a	n/a	0	319
2007	249	23	9	12	7	n/a	n/a	0	300
2008	234	23	8	10	7	n/a	n/a	0	282
2009	228	33	8	12	8	n/a	n/a	0	289
2010	178	13	8	25	7	0	21	0	252
2011	190	21	7	29	5	0	21	0	273
2012	178	14	8	24	3	0	21	0	248
2013	192	19	7	33	2	0	18	0	271
2014	177	30	3	30	0	0	18	0	258
2015	185	31	2	43	2	0	26	0	289
2016	175	26	3	48	1	0	31	0	284
2017	157	19	5	49	1	0	34	0	265
2018	162	27	5	47	1	0	38	0	280
2019	151	28	7	52	0	0	32	0	270
2020	148	33	5	64	1	1	32	0	284
2021	132	26	5	58	2	0	33	0	256
2022	131	26	6	69	2	0	27	0	261
2023	120	33	7	81	1	0	31	0	273

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 Wright Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	314	16.6	18.9	15.9
1989	310	14.0	22.1	12.6
1990	326	17.6	18.5	14.4
1991	322	18.1	17.7	16.1
1992	325	23.0	14.1	21.5
1993	335	22.8	14.7	23.3
1994	317	24.0	13.2	21.8
1995	348	18.9	18.4	28.4
1996	348	18.9	18.4	28.4
1997	324	18.9	17.1	19.8
1998	281	18.9	14.9	16.7
1999	310	16.5	18.8	29
2000	312	17.1	18.2	25.7
2001	295	21.9	13.5	31.2
2002	291	18.1	16.1	35.7
2003	291	18.1	16.1	35.7
2004	299	18.0	16.6	38.5
2005	302	19.9	15.2	39.4
2006	319	19.3	16.5	45.8
2007	300	18.3	16.4	48
2008	282	17.4	16.2	55.3
2009	289	18.8	15.4	55
2010	252	19.2	13.0	60.3
2011	273	20.0	13.6	67.4
2012	248	17.0	14.5	67.3
2013	271	17.0	15.9	68.3
2014	258	17.0	15.1	65.1
2015	289	17.0	17.0	70.2
2016	284	21.0	13.5	72.9
2017	265	19.8	13.3	64.9
2018	280	19.3	14.5	72.1
2019	270	21.4	12.6	74.8
2020	284	20.7	13.7	75.4
2021	256	19.4	13.1	80.1
2022	261	20.5	12.7	79.3
2023	273	20.3	13.4	83.2

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 Wright Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	314	16.6	18.9	15.9
1989	310	14.0	22.1	12.6
1990	326	17.6	18.5	14.4
1991	322	18.1	17.7	16.1
1992	325	23.0	14.1	21.5
1993	335	22.8	14.7	23.3
1994	317	24.0	13.2	21.8
1995	348	18.9	18.4	28.4
1996	348	18.9	18.4	28.4
1997	324	18.9	17.1	19.8
1998	281	18.9	14.9	16.7
1999	310	16.5	18.8	29
2000	312	17.1	18.2	25.7
2001	295	21.9	13.5	31.2
2002	291	18.1	16.1	35.7
2003	291	18.1	16.1	35.7
2004	299	18.0	16.6	38.5
2005	302	19.9	15.2	39.4
2006	319	19.3	16.5	45.8
2007	300	18.3	16.4	48
2008	282	17.4	16.2	55.3
2009	289	18.8	15.4	55
2010	252	19.2	13.0	60.3
2011	273	20.0	13.6	67.4
2012	248	17.0	14.5	67.3
2013	271	17.0	15.9	68.3
2014	258	17.0	15.1	65.1
2015	289	17.0	17.0	70.2
2016	284	21.0	13.5	72.9
2017	265	19.8	13.3	64.9
2018	280	19.3	14.5	72.1
2019	270	21.4	12.6	74.8
2020	284	20.7	13.7	75.4
2021	256	19.4	13.1	80.1
2022	261	20.5	12.7	79.3
2023	273	20.3	13.4	83.2

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 Wright Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,243 (7.8%)	$14,685 (92.2%)	$15,928

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wright 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 519^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 547^th of 565 Elementary schools	10.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wright Elementary School)	47.2	21.6	25.6%
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 (Wright Elementary School)	69.4	54.1	15.3%
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 (Wright Elementary School)	56.9	34	22.9%
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 (Wright Elementary School)	58.6	32	26.6%
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 (Wright Elementary School)	53.7	47.5	6.2%
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 (Wright Elementary School)	51.2	45	6.2%
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	270	273	1.1%
African American	28	33	17.9%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	7	7
Hispanic	52	81	55.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	151	120	20.5%
Two or More Races	32	31	3.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	74.8%	83.2%	8.3%

Schools Near Wright 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
Wright Elementary School	Public	K-5	5001 SW 14th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8442	273	20	13.4	83.2%	120 (44.0%)	33 (12.1%)	81 (29.7%)	7 (2.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (11.4%)	21.3	466^th of 557 public elementary schools	16.3%		4.1	547^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.2%	81	60.6	38.5	55.3	69.7	53.8	50.0	52.6	$15,928	$1,243	$14,685
Morris Elementary School	Public	K-5	1401 Geil Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8421	444	36	12.5	87.6%	162 (36.5%)	77 (17.3%)	164 (36.9%)	14 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.1%)	9.4	516^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.4%		7.7	530^th of 565 public elementary schools	6.2%	14	35.4	50.0	52.5	35.4	55.4	55.9	37.3	$16,468	$1,455	$15,012
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-5	2425 Watrous Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8416	338	23	14.8	49.7%	220 (65.1%)	29 (8.6%)	51 (15.1%)	10 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	25 (7.4%)	49	341^st of 557 public elementary schools	38.8%		55	283^rd of 565 public elementary schools	49.9%	58	66.0	68.0	77.6	75.5	72.0	69.4	49.0	$13,945	$622	$13,323
South Union Elementary School	Public	K-5	4201 South Union	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8409	442	37	11.8	88.7%	117 (26.5%)	103 (23.3%)	132 (29.9%)	52 (11.8%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.7%)	7	528^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.2%		5.6	541^st of 565 public elementary schools	4.2%	13	38.5	51.6	44.8	55.8	37.1	53.7	31.3	$14,822	$1,433	$13,389
Park Ave Elementary School	Public	K-5	3141 SW 9th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8429	378	29	13.2	80.4%	164 (43.4%)	56 (14.8%)	109 (28.8%)	13 (3.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (9.0%)	4.4	540^th of 557 public elementary schools	3.1%		6.5	534^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.5%	6	39.2	28.6	37.1	54.9	37.5	44.4	38.1	$16,460	$1,357	$15,103
Lovejoy Elementary School	Public	K-5	801 E Kenyon Ave	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8419	365	32	11.4	89.3%	94 (25.8%)	87 (23.8%)	117 (32.1%)	39 (10.7%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.8%)	4.1	542^nd of 557 public elementary schools	2.7%		4.6	544^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.7%	2	24.1	50.0	41.9	49.1	33.3	45.2	35.5	$17,256	$2,903	$14,353
Howe Elementary	Public	K-5	2900 Indianola	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8413	297	25	11.9	88.6%	78 (26.3%)	68 (22.9%)	105 (35.4%)	27 (9.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.1%)	11.2	506^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.2%		15.7	501^st of 565 public elementary schools	11.3%	5	28.0	48.6	54.0	46.0	43.2	64.0	40.0	$16,527	$1,727	$14,800
Studebaker Elementary School	Public	K-5	300 E County Line Rd	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8436	523	39	13.5	88.1%	174 (33.3%)	72 (13.8%)	223 (42.6%)	24 (4.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (5.4%)	4	543^rd of 557 public elementary schools	2.5%		4.7	543^rd of 565 public elementary schools	3.9%		34.4	50.0	36.2	53.3	38.6	44.9	26.1	$15,051	$1,299	$13,752
Jackson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3825 Indianola Ave	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8415	406	29	14.2	80.5%	90 (22.2%)	77 (19.0%)	153 (37.7%)	59 (14.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.7%)	10.2	512^th of 557 public elementary schools	8.1%		13.8	512^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.4%		38.2	55.0	47.3	48.5	63.3	52.7	28.4	$15,448	$1,376	$14,072
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Wright Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Wright Elementary School?

Students at Wright Elementary School are 44% White, 30% Hispanic, 12% African American, 11% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Wright Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What schools do graduates of Wright Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Brody Middle School
High : Lincoln High School

How many students attend Wright Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 273 students attended Wright Elementary School.

Is Wright Elementary School a good school?

Wright Elementary School ranks in the bottom 16.3% of Iowa elementary schools.

Rate Wright 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.