Delaware Elementary

Q: Is Delaware Elementary a good school?

Delaware Elementary ranks 138 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Delaware Elementary is a public elementary school located in Des Moines, Iowa, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 398. The school is part of the Southeast Polk Community School District, which is ranked 112 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Delaware Elementary consistently outperforms the Southeast Polk Community School District and the state of Iowa in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores across all grade levels and subjects. In the 2023-2024 school year, 80.3% of 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 68.1% for the district and 64.2% for the state. In mathematics, Delaware Elementary had significantly higher proficiency rates than the district and state averages. The school also outperformed the district and state in 5th-grade science.

While Altoona Elementary, Clay Elementary, and Centennial Elementary schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District have a higher percentage of White students, Delaware Elementary has a more diverse student population, with 11.81% African American, 9.8% Hispanic, and 7.04% Asian students. Additionally, Delaware Elementary has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 43.47% in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the nearby schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4401 E 46th St
Des Moines, IA 50317

(515) 262-3197

District: Southeast Polk Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
138^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,865

Students who attend Delaware Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Southeast Polk Junior High
	Spring Creek - 6th Grade
High:	Southeast Polk High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 398

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.8%

African American:

11.8%

Hispanic:

9.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.5%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Delaware Elementary ranks better than 75.2% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 5^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.2. (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 Delaware Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Southeast Polk Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Delaware Elementary is $15,865, which is the 2^nd highest among 8 elementary schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Delaware Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Southeast Polk Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Southeast Polk Community School District 112^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Delaware Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	59.70	281^st	626	55.1%
2013	48.55	396^th	624	36.5%
2014	52.24	356^th	603	41.0%
2015	37.78	455^th	616	26.1%
2016	50.39	368^th	599	38.6%
2017	64.26	233^rd	574	59.4%
2018	68.10	179^th	567	68.4%
2019	80.57	90^th	603	85.1%
2021	76.91	111^th	567	80.4%
2022	68.03	188^th	574	67.2%
2023	76.69	109^th	565	80.7%
2024	72.20	138^th	557	75.2%

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 Delaware Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	368	3	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	378
1989	386	4	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	402
1990	403	3	5	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	421
1991	431	2	5	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	446
1992	252	1	4	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	264
1993	261	1	0	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	270
1994	273	1	3	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	279
1995	254	0	4	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	266
1996	254	0	4	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	266
1997	272	1	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	282
1998	274	5	3	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	294
1999	284	8	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	304
2000	339	3	7	9	0	n/a	n/a	-25	333
2001	289	5	5	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	309
2002	351	13	12	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	390
2003	351	13	12	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	390
2004	364	14	15	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	405
2005	388	9	12	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	422
2006	402	17	20	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	461
2007	405	22	24	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	472
2008	435	18	30	20	2	n/a	n/a	0	505
2009	445	21	27	22	2	n/a	n/a	0	517
2010	436	21	22	37	0	0	17	0	533
2011	422	14	26	31	0	0	23	0	516
2012	459	17	25	35	0	0	25	0	561
2013	465	14	22	39	0	1	26	0	567
2014	468	30	21	51	0	1	26	0	597
2015	381	23	15	43	0	1	18	0	481
2016	384	23	17	41	0	0	19	0	484
2017	354	27	15	37	0	0	17	0	450
2018	334	23	11	33	0	0	17	0	418
2019	327	36	16	32	0	0	16	0	427
2020	298	34	22	31	0	0	25	0	410
2021	264	32	25	33	0	0	28	0	382
2022	284	44	30	30	0	0	28	0	416
2023	262	47	28	39	0	0	22	0	398

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 Delaware Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	378	20.8	18.1	14.6
1989	402	21.4	18.7	11.2
1990	421	21.9	19.2	13.5
1991	446	20.7	21.5	15.5
1992	264	18.0	14.6	22
1993	270	14.3	18.9	18.9
1994	279	14.0	19.9	21.9
1995	266	19.1	13.9	24.8
1996	266	19.1	13.9	24.8
1997	282	16.3	17.3	22
1998	294	17.7	16.6	23.5
1999	304	18.2	16.7	34.2
2000	333	21.0	15.9	27.9
2001	309	22.3	13.9	27.8
2002	390	28.3	13.8	33.1
2003	390	28.3	13.8	33.1
2004	405	30.6	13.2	34.6
2005	422	31.5	13.4	32.9
2006	461	32.1	14.4	34.3
2007	472	28.1	16.8	34.7
2008	505	37.1	13.6	31.5
2009	517	39.0	13.3	31.1
2010	533	40.0	13.3	32.6
2011	516	34.5	14.9	33.7
2012	561	32.0	17.4	29.6
2013	567	30.9	18.3	31.7
2014	597	32.4	18.3	36
2015	481	34.0	14.1	37
2016	484	31.0	15.6	36
2017	450	30.4	14.7	32.9
2018	418	30.5	13.7	38.8
2019	427	31.5	13.5	41.5
2020	410	32.0	12.8	38
2021	382	32.0	11.9	38.7
2022	416	35.0	11.8	40.9
2023	398	33.0	12.0	43.5

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 Delaware Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	378	20.8	18.1	14.6
1989	402	21.4	18.7	11.2
1990	421	21.9	19.2	13.5
1991	446	20.7	21.5	15.5
1992	264	18.0	14.6	22
1993	270	14.3	18.9	18.9
1994	279	14.0	19.9	21.9
1995	266	19.1	13.9	24.8
1996	266	19.1	13.9	24.8
1997	282	16.3	17.3	22
1998	294	17.7	16.6	23.5
1999	304	18.2	16.7	34.2
2000	333	21.0	15.9	27.9
2001	309	22.3	13.9	27.8
2002	390	28.3	13.8	33.1
2003	390	28.3	13.8	33.1
2004	405	30.6	13.2	34.6
2005	422	31.5	13.4	32.9
2006	461	32.1	14.4	34.3
2007	472	28.1	16.8	34.7
2008	505	37.1	13.6	31.5
2009	517	39.0	13.3	31.1
2010	533	40.0	13.3	32.6
2011	516	34.5	14.9	33.7
2012	561	32.0	17.4	29.6
2013	567	30.9	18.3	31.7
2014	597	32.4	18.3	36
2015	481	34.0	14.1	37
2016	484	31.0	15.6	36
2017	450	30.4	14.7	32.9
2018	418	30.5	13.7	38.8
2019	427	31.5	13.5	41.5
2020	410	32.0	12.8	38
2021	382	32.0	11.9	38.7
2022	416	35.0	11.8	40.9
2023	398	33.0	12.0	43.5

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 Delaware Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,352 (8.5%)	$14,513 (91.5%)	$15,865

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Delaware Elementary

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 90^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 109^th of 565 Elementary schools	4.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Delaware Elementary)	82.4	78.5	3.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	76.6	73.5	3.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Delaware Elementary)	82.4	84.6	2.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	82	81.9	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware Elementary)	82.7	82.8	0.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	80.4	78.6	1.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Delaware Elementary)	86.5	86.2	0.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	85.1	84.8	0.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Delaware Elementary)	83.1	74	9.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	81.3	75.8	5.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Delaware Elementary)	78.9	86	7.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	84.8	85.1	0.3%
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	427	398	6.8%
African American	36	47	30.6%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	16	28	75%
Hispanic	32	39	21.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	327	262	19.9%
Two or More Races	16	22	37.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	41.5%	43.5%	2%

Schools Near Delaware Elementary

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
Delaware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 E 46th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 262-3197	398	33	12.0	43.5%	262 (65.8%)	47 (11.8%)	39 (9.8%)	28 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.5%)	72.2	138^th of 557 public elementary schools	75.2%		76.7	109^th of 565 public elementary schools	80.7%	29	80.3	80.3	76.6	88.5	77.8	73.4	71.0	$15,865	$1,352	$14,513
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
Willowbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 17th Ave SW	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 967-7512	533	35	15.2	50.5%	353 (66.2%)	51 (9.6%)	54 (10.1%)	15 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	52 (9.8%)	35.2	413^th of 557 public elementary schools	25.9%		44.2	371^st of 565 public elementary schools	34.3%	42	42.9	66.3	67.6	70.2	68.8	62.0	59.2	$13,785	$487	$13,298
Altoona Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 6th St SW	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 967-3771	419	34	12.4	49.6%	297 (70.9%)	49 (11.7%)	40 (9.5%)	8 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.5%)	73.5	122^nd of 557 public elementary schools	78.1%		70.6	164^th of 565 public elementary schools	71.0%	42	62.7	80.6	84.3	78.4	79.0	91.3	73.5	$14,305	$587	$13,718
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
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
Clay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3200 First Avenue S.	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-4198	657	38	17.5	30.1%	463 (70.5%)	68 (10.4%)	69 (10.5%)	12 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.5%)	61	242^nd of 557 public elementary schools	56.6%		61.2	231^st of 565 public elementary schools	59.1%	11	64.3	68.4	82.0	76.5	76.8	76.0	69.0	$12,723	$186	$12,537
Centennial Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	910 7th Ave SE	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-2109	420	33	12.7	36.0%	331 (78.8%)	14 (3.3%)	34 (8.1%)	9 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.6%)	77.2	86^th of 557 public elementary schools	84.6%		78.6	96^th of 565 public elementary schools	83.0%	10	77.4	81.3	73.8	85.5	85.9	90.2	70.5	$15,221	$767	$14,454
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Delaware Elementary

What schools do graduates of Delaware Elementary attend?

Students who attend Delaware Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southeast Polk Junior High
Middle : Spring Creek - 6th Grade
High : Southeast Polk High School

How many students attend Delaware Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 398 students attended Delaware Elementary.

What district is Delaware Elementary in?

Southeast Polk Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Delaware Elementary?

Students at Delaware Elementary are 66% White, 12% African American, 10% Hispanic, 7% Asian, 6% Two or more races.

Is Delaware Elementary a good school?

Delaware Elementary ranks 138^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Rate Delaware Elementary!

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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.