Four Mile Elementary

Q: Is Four Mile Elementary a good school?

Four Mile Elementary ranks 169 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Four Mile Elementary is a public elementary school located in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 483 students. 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.

Four Mile 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 subject areas. In the 2023-2024 school year, Four Mile Elementary had significantly higher proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science compared to the district and state averages. The school's per-student spending of $13,837 in the 2018-2019 school year was also higher than the nearby Altoona Elementary ($14,305) and Delaware Elementary ($15,865).

While Four Mile Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to the nearby schools within the Southeast Polk Community School District, the school has been able to maintain strong academic performance, suggesting its ability to effectively serve students from diverse backgrounds. The nearby schools within the same district, such as Altoona Elementary and Delaware Elementary, also demonstrate strong academic performance, indicating a district-wide focus on educational excellence.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

670 SE 68th St
Pleasant Hill, IA 50327

(515) 265-1972

District: Southeast Polk Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
169^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,837

Students who attend Four Mile Elementary usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 15.5

Number of students: 483

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.9%

Hispanic:

13.3%

Two or more races:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 35.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Four Mile Elementary ranks better than 69.7% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 6^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 69.19. (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 Four Mile 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 Four Mile Elementary is $13,837. 5 elementary schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Four Mile 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 Four Mile Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	77.47	79^th	626	87.4%
2013	67.63	183^rd	624	70.7%
2014	77.26	87^th	603	85.6%
2015	80.24	62^nd	616	89.9%
2016	80.63	56^th	599	90.7%
2017	82.92	42^nd	574	92.7%
2018	79.32	70^th	567	87.7%
2019	85.08	54^th	603	91.0%
2021	72.48	138^th	567	75.7%
2022	67.43	196^th	574	65.9%
2023	78.07	102^nd	565	81.9%
2024	69.19	169^th	557	69.7%

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 Four Mile Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	253	0	7	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	260
1989	263	0	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	269
1990	289	1	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	296
1991	294	2	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	302
1992	288	2	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	294
1993	288	2	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	295
1994	273	2	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	279
1995	256	1	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	262
1996	256	1	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	262
1997	252	2	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	263
1998	251	2	1	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	259
1999	325	2	1	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	332
2000	360	11	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	-26	352
2001	412	7	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	423
2002	431	5	11	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	457
2003	431	5	11	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	457
2004	458	8	12	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	487
2005	473	9	14	12	5	n/a	n/a	0	513
2006	510	14	16	15	4	n/a	n/a	0	559
2007	513	12	27	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	577
2008	508	13	27	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	582
2009	545	17	25	40	1	n/a	n/a	0	628
2010	511	13	25	36	1	0	10	0	596
2011	425	7	9	31	1	0	18	0	491
2012	420	3	7	35	1	0	21	0	487
2013	418	7	8	45	0	0	25	0	503
2014	417	6	8	46	0	0	33	0	510
2015	372	3	7	43	0	0	31	0	456
2016	358	6	6	40	0	0	31	0	441
2017	350	9	5	33	0	0	31	0	428
2018	354	16	4	32	0	0	24	0	430
2019	343	15	9	33	0	0	34	0	434
2020	361	20	9	41	0	0	32	0	463
2021	343	18	9	46	0	3	31	0	450
2022	359	17	14	52	0	2	27	0	471
2023	357	20	13	64	0	3	26	0	483

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 Four Mile Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	260	13.7	18.9	3.5
1989	269	14.3	18.8	2.6
1990	296	15.8	18.7	4.7
1991	302	14.9	20.2	4
1992	294	18.0	16.3	6.8
1993	295	17.1	17.3	6.1
1994	279	16.2	17.2	3.2
1995	262	17.6	14.9	8
1996	262	17.6	14.9	8
1997	263	15.9	16.5	9.5
1998	259	18.0	14.4	12.4
1999	332	19.8	16.8	18.4
2000	352	25.3	13.9	15.3
2001	423	23.0	18.4	12.5
2002	457	29.5	15.5	12.7
2003	457	29.5	15.5	12.7
2004	487	31.5	15.5	11.5
2005	513	32.3	15.9	11.9
2006	559	34.4	16.3	14.3
2007	577	35.7	16.2	17.3
2008	582	37.8	15.4	15.8
2009	628	43.2	14.5	18.9
2010	596	39.1	15.2	20.8
2011	491	29.0	16.9	22.4
2012	487	31.3	15.5	23
2013	503	30.3	16.5	26
2014	510	31.3	16.2	27.1
2015	456	30.0	15.2	23.7
2016	441	30.0	14.7	26.1
2017	428	29.8	14.3	27.1
2018	430	28.0	15.3	29.1
2019	434	29.0	14.9	30
2020	463	29.0	15.9	32.8
2021	450	30.0	15.0	26.9
2022	471	30.0	15.7	28.7
2023	483	31.0	15.5	35.6

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 Four Mile Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	260	13.7	18.9	3.5
1989	269	14.3	18.8	2.6
1990	296	15.8	18.7	4.7
1991	302	14.9	20.2	4
1992	294	18.0	16.3	6.8
1993	295	17.1	17.3	6.1
1994	279	16.2	17.2	3.2
1995	262	17.6	14.9	8
1996	262	17.6	14.9	8
1997	263	15.9	16.5	9.5
1998	259	18.0	14.4	12.4
1999	332	19.8	16.8	18.4
2000	352	25.3	13.9	15.3
2001	423	23.0	18.4	12.5
2002	457	29.5	15.5	12.7
2003	457	29.5	15.5	12.7
2004	487	31.5	15.5	11.5
2005	513	32.3	15.9	11.9
2006	559	34.4	16.3	14.3
2007	577	35.7	16.2	17.3
2008	582	37.8	15.4	15.8
2009	628	43.2	14.5	18.9
2010	596	39.1	15.2	20.8
2011	491	29.0	16.9	22.4
2012	487	31.3	15.5	23
2013	503	30.3	16.5	26
2014	510	31.3	16.2	27.1
2015	456	30.0	15.2	23.7
2016	441	30.0	14.7	26.1
2017	428	29.8	14.3	27.1
2018	430	28.0	15.3	29.1
2019	434	29.0	14.9	30
2020	463	29.0	15.9	32.8
2021	450	30.0	15.0	26.9
2022	471	30.0	15.7	28.7
2023	483	31.0	15.5	35.6

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 Four Mile Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$290 (2.1%)	$13,547 (97.9%)	$13,837

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Four Mile 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 54^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 102^nd of 565 Elementary schools	9.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Four Mile Elementary)	80.6	79.4	1.2%
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 (Four Mile Elementary)	88.9	88.2	0.7%
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 (Four Mile Elementary)	83.6	76.9	6.7%
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 (Four Mile Elementary)	89.6	84.6	5%
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 (Four Mile Elementary)	80.5	84	3.5%
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 (Four Mile Elementary)	88.3	85.2	3.1%
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	434	483	11.3%
African American	15	20	33.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	9	13	44.4%
Hispanic	33	64	93.9%
Pacific Islander	0	3
White	343	357	4.1%
Two or More Races	34	26	23.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	30%	35.6%	5.7%

Schools Near Four Mile 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
Four Mile Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	670 SE 68th St	Pleasant Hill	50327	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 265-1972	483	31	15.5	35.6%	357 (73.9%)	20 (4.1%)	64 (13.3%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	26 (5.4%)	69.2	169^th of 557 public elementary schools	69.7%		78.1	102^nd of 565 public elementary schools	81.9%	67	74.7	82.6	69.1	91.1	92.8	76.5	52.9	$13,837	$290	$13,547
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
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
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
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
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
Willard Elementary School	Public	K-5	2941 Dean Avenue	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8439	286	24	11.8	90.2%	99 (34.6%)	41 (14.3%)	107 (37.4%)	12 (4.2%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (8.4%)	10.9	507^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.0%		14.3	509^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.9%	2	47.1	50.0	47.6	58.8	52.2	57.1	31.0	$16,503	$1,680	$14,822
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Four Mile Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Four Mile Elementary?

Students at Four Mile Elementary are 74% White, 13% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Four Mile Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 483 students attended Four Mile Elementary.

Is Four Mile Elementary a good school?

Four Mile Elementary ranks 169^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Four Mile Elementary attend?

Students who attend Four Mile Elementary usually go on to attend:

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

What district is Four Mile Elementary in?

Southeast Polk Community School District

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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.