Ruby Van Meter

Summary:

Ruby Van Meter is an alternative public school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 113 students in grades K-12. 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.

Ruby Van Meter has a diverse student population, with a higher percentage of minority students compared to the state average. However, the school's test scores are significantly lower than the district and state averages, with only 0% of 10th-grade students proficient or better in ISASP/English Language Arts, compared to 50.9% in the district and 73.8% statewide. Additionally, 73.45% of Ruby Van Meter students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is much higher than the district and state averages. Despite the school's small size and low student-teacher ratio of 4:1, these factors have not translated into higher academic achievement.

The high spending per student at Ruby Van Meter, at $63,840 for the 2018-2019 school year, raises questions about the effectiveness of the school's resource allocation and the need for a closer examination of how funds are being utilized to support student learning. While the school's small size and individualized attention may be beneficial, the consistently low test scores and high poverty levels suggest the need for significant academic interventions and support to help students succeed.

Detail:

Public, Alternative K-12

710 28th St
Des Moines, IA 50312

(515) 242-8220

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
338^th of 338 Iowa Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $63,840

Student/teacher ratio: 4.0

Number of students: 113

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.6%

Hispanic:

22.1%

African American:

17.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Ruby Van Meter is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 0. (See more...)

Compare Details Ruby Van Meter ranks worse than 100% of high schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 0. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Ruby Van Meter who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ruby Van Meter is $63,840.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ruby Van Meter was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Ruby Van Meter 338^th of 338 Iowa public high schools. (See Ruby Van Meter in the ranking list.)

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 Ruby Van Meter

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	0.00	334^th	334	0.0%

See the entire list of Iowa Alternative School Rankings!

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

Rank History for Ruby Van Meter

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IA State Percentile
2019	0.00	327^th	327	0.0%
2021	0.00	327^th	327	0.0%
2023	0.02	336^th	336	0.0%
2024	0.00	338^th	338	0.0%

See the entire list of Iowa Alternative 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 Ruby Van Meter

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2019	82	35	7	24	1	2	10	161
2020	69	31	5	25	1	1	9	141
2021	65	24	3	24	1	1	11	129
2022	62	20	2	20	1	1	10	116
2023	56	20	3	25	1	1	7	113

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 Ruby Van Meter

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	161	37.1	4.3	79.5
2020	141	32.3	4.3	75.9
2021	129	31.4	4.1	76
2022	116	30.7	3.7	74.1
2023	113	28.0	4.0	73.5

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 Ruby Van Meter

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	161	37.1	4.3	79.5
2020	141	32.3	4.3	75.9
2021	129	31.4	4.1	76
2022	116	30.7	3.7	74.1
2023	113	28.0	4.0	73.5

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 Ruby Van Meter

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$14,304 (22.4%)	$49,537 (77.6%)	$63,840

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ruby Van Meter

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 327^th of 327 High schools	Ranks 336^th of 336 High schools

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Mathematics (Ruby Van Meter)	0	0
7th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.9	41.2	10.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	64.9	5.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	161	113	29.8%
African American	35	20	42.9%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	7	3	57.1%
Hispanic	24	25	4.2%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	82	56	31.7%
Two or More Races	10	7	30%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	79.5%	73.5%	6.1%

Schools Near Ruby Van Meter

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ruby Van Meter	Public, Alternative	K-12	710 28th St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8220	113	28	4.0	73.5%	56 (49.6%)	20 (17.7%)	25 (22.1%)	3 (2.7%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	7 (6.2%)								(n/a)	8.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	$63,840	$14,304	$49,537

Frequently Asked Questions about Ruby Van Meter

What is the racial makeup of Ruby Van Meter?

Students at Ruby Van Meter are 50% White, 22% Hispanic, 18% African American, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What district is Ruby Van Meter in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

How many students attend Ruby Van Meter?

In the 2022-23 school year, 113 students attended Ruby Van Meter.

Is Ruby Van Meter a good school?

Ruby Van Meter ranks in the bottom 0.0% of Iowa alternative schools.

Rate Ruby Van Meter!

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Schools in Des Moines, IA

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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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