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:
430th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,042 Help


Students who attend Walnut Street School usually attend:

Middle:    Callanan Middle School
High:    Roosevelt High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.5 Help
Number of students:  269

Racial breakdown:

White:
34.9%
African American:
32.0%
Hispanic:
16.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  65.4% Help


 See top rated Iowa elementary schools

 Compare Walnut Street School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Walnut Street School ranks worse than 77.2% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 9th among 38 ranked elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.99. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Walnut Street School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (34.9%), African American (32%), Hispanic (16.4%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 65.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Walnut Street School is 13.5. 30 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Walnut Street School employs 19.8 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
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 301st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Walnut Street School

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

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Walnut Street School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Walnut Street School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2005 39 7 1 7 0 n/a n/a 0 54
2006 94 25 3 7 0 n/a n/a 0 129
2007 131 33 8 10 0 n/a n/a 0 182
2008 147 47 5 9 0 n/a n/a 0 208
2009 168 57 20 16 0 n/a n/a 0 261
2010 106 70 27 37 2 0 20 0 262
2011 111 49 25 37 0 1 18 0 241
2012 136 46 53 38 0 1 27 0 301
2013 148 58 27 52 0 0 27 0 312
2014 153 56 11 32 0 0 26 0 278
2015 152 61 12 26 0 0 32 0 283
2016 168 58 10 25 0 0 34 0 295
2017 150 64 11 29 0 4 33 0 291
2018 150 76 13 30 0 2 36 0 307
2019 134 78 14 40 3 2 26 0 297
2020 128 84 13 43 1 2 26 0 297
2021 92 76 11 37 1 2 26 0 245
2022 91 89 13 45 0 1 29 0 268
2023 94 86 14 44 1 2 28 0 269

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

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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

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

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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

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

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 522nd of 603 Elementary schoolsRanks 444th 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)52.964.5
 11.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)4443.3
 0.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)65.366.3
 1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Walnut Street School)52.971
 18.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)5252.1
 0.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)71.775.3
 3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Walnut Street School)5566.7
 11.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)49.752.4
 2.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)70.573.1
 2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Walnut Street School)6563.3
 1.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)50.947.6
 3.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)72.572.9
 0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Walnut Street School)41.458.1
 16.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)46.549.5
 3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)67.368.3
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Walnut Street School)62.153.5
 8.6%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)48.451.6
 3.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)69.471.3
 1.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students297269
 9.4%
African American7886
 10.3%
American Indian31
 66.7%
Asian1414
Hispanic4044
 10%
Pacific Islander22
White13494
 29.9%
Two or More Races2628
 7.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients55.9%65.4%
 9.5%


Schools Near Walnut Street School









Frequently Asked Questions about Walnut Street School

Students at Walnut Street School are 35% White, 32% African American, 16% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

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

Middle : Callanan Middle School
High : Roosevelt High School

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

In the 2022-23 school year, 269 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.





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