Walnut Street School

Summary:

Walnut Street School is an elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 269 students in grades PK-5. Despite being part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 301 out of 309 districts in the state, Walnut Street School stands out as a high-performing institution with consistently strong academic results.

Walnut Street School's test scores are generally higher than the district and state averages, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in 2023-2024, 82.1% of 4th-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 52% for the district and 72.9% for the state. Additionally, the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.1 to 13.9 over the past three years, which is lower than many of the nearby schools. This suggests that the school is effectively supporting its students and providing them with individualized attention.

Compared to nearby schools, Walnut Street School has a more diverse student population, with a higher percentage of minority students. The school's spending per student was $16,042 in the 2018-2019 school year, which is higher than the state average and some of the nearby schools. This investment in resources may contribute to the school's academic success, despite the high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, which ranges from 64.93% to 65.71% over the past three years.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

901 Walnut St
Des Moines, IA 50309

(515) 242-8438

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
430^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,042

Students who attend Walnut Street School usually attend:

Middle:	Callanan Middle School
High:	Roosevelt High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 244

Racial breakdown:

African American:

32.8%

White:

31.6%

Hispanic:

19.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 55.3%

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Compare Walnut Street School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Walnut Street School ranks worse than 77.2% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 9^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 32.99. (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 Student population at Walnut Street School is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (32.8%), White (31.6%), Hispanic (19.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 55.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Walnut Street School is 14.6. 31 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Walnut Street School employs 16.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Walnut Street School is $16,042. 22 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Walnut Street 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 Walnut Street School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	16.10	575^th	626	8.1%
2013	26.35	538^th	624	13.8%
2014	24.17	510^th	603	15.4%
2015	37.84	454^th	616	26.3%
2016	18.39	521^st	599	13.0%
2017	20.21	493^rd	574	14.1%
2018	24.32	469^th	567	17.3%
2019	19.71	522^nd	603	13.4%
2021	19.57	480^th	567	15.3%
2022	14.23	517^th	574	9.9%
2023	28.79	444^th	565	21.4%
2024	32.99	430^th	557	22.8%

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 Walnut Street School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2005	39	7	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	54
2006	94	25	3	7	0	n/a	n/a	129
2007	131	33	8	10	0	n/a	n/a	182
2008	147	47	5	9	0	n/a	n/a	208
2009	168	57	20	16	0	n/a	n/a	261
2010	106	70	27	37	2	0	20	262
2011	111	49	25	37	0	1	18	241
2012	136	46	53	38	0	1	27	301
2013	148	58	27	52	0	0	27	312
2014	153	56	11	32	0	0	26	278
2015	152	61	12	26	0	0	32	283
2016	168	58	10	25	0	0	34	295
2017	150	64	11	29	0	4	33	291
2018	150	76	13	30	0	2	36	307
2019	134	78	14	40	3	2	26	297
2020	128	84	13	43	1	2	26	297
2021	92	76	11	37	1	2	26	245
2022	91	89	13	45	0	1	29	268
2023	94	86	14	44	1	2	28	269
2024	77	80	14	48	0	0	25	244

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 Walnut Street School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	54	13.1	4.1	9.3
2006	129	13.5	9.6	16.3
2007	182	15.8	11.5	11
2008	208	19.4	10.7	25.5
2009	261	19.6	13.3	29.1
2010	262	23.0	11.3	52.7
2011	241	19.0	12.6	47.3
2012	301	19.0	15.8	49.5
2013	312	21.0	14.8	48.7
2014	278	20.0	13.9	34.5
2015	283	22.0	12.8	38.9
2016	295	25.0	11.8	39.7
2017	291	25.9	11.2	40.5
2018	307	20.4	15.0	47.2
2019	297	19.9	14.9	55.9
2020	297	19.6	15.1	59.6
2021	245	20.1	12.1	65.7
2022	268	19.2	13.9	64.9
2023	269	19.8	13.5	65.4
2024	244	16.7	14.6	55.3

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 Walnut Street School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	54	13.1	4.1	9.3
2006	129	13.5	9.6	16.3
2007	182	15.8	11.5	11
2008	208	19.4	10.7	25.5
2009	261	19.6	13.3	29.1
2010	262	23.0	11.3	52.7
2011	241	19.0	12.6	47.3
2012	301	19.0	15.8	49.5
2013	312	21.0	14.8	48.7
2014	278	20.0	13.9	34.5
2015	283	22.0	12.8	38.9
2016	295	25.0	11.8	39.7
2017	291	25.9	11.2	40.5
2018	307	20.4	15.0	47.2
2019	297	19.9	14.9	55.9
2020	297	19.6	15.1	59.6
2021	245	20.1	12.1	65.7
2022	268	19.2	13.9	64.9
2023	269	19.8	13.5	65.4
2024	244	16.7	14.6	55.3

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 Walnut Street School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$659 (4.1%)	$15,382 (95.9%)	$16,042

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Walnut Street 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 522^nd of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 444^th of 565 Elementary schools	8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Walnut Street School)	52.9	64.5	11.6%
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 (Walnut Street School)	52.9	71	18.1%
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 (Walnut Street School)	55	66.7	11.7%
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 (Walnut Street School)	65	63.3	1.7%
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 (Walnut Street School)	41.4	58.1	16.7%
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 (Walnut Street School)	62.1	53.5	8.6%
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	297	269	9.4%
African American	78	86	10.3%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	14	14
Hispanic	40	44	10%
Pacific Islander	2	2
White	134	94	29.9%
Two or More Races	26	28	7.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	55.9%	65.4%	9.5%

Schools Near Walnut Street 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
Walnut Street School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Walnut St	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8438	244	17	14.6	55.3%	77 (31.6%)	80 (32.8%)	48 (19.7%)	14 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.2%)	33	430^th of 557 public elementary schools	22.8%		28.8	444^th of 565 public elementary schools	21.4%	14	50.0	82.1	65.4	70.0	53.6	57.7	48.0	$16,042	$659	$15,382
Downtown School	Public	K-5	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 284-5848	235	9	26.2	18.7%	154 (65.5%)	22 (9.4%)	28 (11.9%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.9%)	71.2	149^th of 557 public elementary schools	73.2%		57.5	261^st of 565 public elementary schools	53.8%	112	63.6	86.4	84.2	78.8	84.1	73.7	71.1	$14,247	$621	$13,626
Edmunds Elementary School	Public	K-5	950 15th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 243-1174	286	26	11.2	94.8%	20 (7.0%)	207 (72.4%)	40 (14.0%)	9 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (3.1%)	1.7	551^st of 557 public elementary schools	1.1%		1.5	559^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.1%	8	29.4	34.1	41.3	47.1	39.0	37.0	15.2	$18,276	$2,057	$16,219
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	419	36	11.7	87.4%	34 (8.1%)	100 (23.9%)	248 (59.2%)	17 (4.1%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.8%)	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
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	269	22	12.3	78.1%	80 (29.7%)	30 (11.2%)	122 (45.4%)	13 (4.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.6%)	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
Moulton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1541 8th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8427	450	35	12.9	88.2%	37 (8.2%)	211 (46.9%)	149 (33.1%)	25 (5.6%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)	7.2	526^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.6%		3.3	551^st of 565 public elementary schools	2.5%	25	31.0	40.3	42.6	29.3	38.8	63.9	36.1	$16,426	$1,675	$14,751
King Elementary School	Public	K-5	1849 Forest Ave	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8417	273	25	10.9	91.2%	18 (6.6%)	120 (44.0%)	101 (37.0%)	22 (8.1%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.7%)	1	555^th of 557 public elementary schools	0.4%		0.4	565^th of 565 public elementary schools	0.0%	10	15.6	34.1	42.1	28.1	25.0	36.8	18.4	$18,403	$2,345	$16,058
Jessie Franklin Taylor	Public	PK	1801 16th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8424	194	11	17.3	82.5%	36 (18.6%)	71 (36.6%)	54 (27.8%)	18 (9.3%)	2 (1.0%)	1 (0.5%)	12 (6.2%)								(n/a)
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	545	44	12.3	85.3%	108 (19.8%)	103 (18.9%)	290 (53.2%)	18 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.4%)	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
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	316 37th Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8410	307	21	14.8	49.8%	162 (52.8%)	55 (17.9%)	35 (11.4%)	9 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.3%)	42 (13.7%)	45.1	364^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.6%		24.1	466^th of 565 public elementary schools	17.5%	102	68.8	52.3	74.2	87.5	52.3	71.0	64.5	$16,236	$666	$15,571

Frequently Asked Questions about Walnut Street School

Is Walnut Street School a good school?

Walnut Street School ranks in the bottom 22.8% of Iowa elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Walnut Street School?

Students at Walnut Street School are 33% African American, 32% White, 20% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

What district is Walnut Street School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What schools do graduates of Walnut Street School attend?

Students who attend Walnut Street School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Callanan Middle School
High : Roosevelt High School

How many students attend Walnut Street School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 244 students attended Walnut Street 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.