Southeast Polk Junior High

Q: Is Southeast Polk Junior High a good school?

Southeast Polk Junior High ranks 202 nd of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Southeast Polk Junior High is a public middle school located in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, serving 1,088 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the Southeast Polk Community School District, which is ranked 112 out of 309 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Southeast Polk Junior High consistently performs above the state average in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates were 79.7% in 7th grade ELA, 77.2% in 8th grade ELA, 76.3% in 7th grade Math, and 71.2% in 8th grade Math, all of which are higher than the state averages. The school's performance has been relatively stable over the past few years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 62nd to 202nd out of 337 Iowa middle schools.

Southeast Polk Junior High has a more diverse student population compared to the nearby Saydel Community School District and Des Moines Independent Community School District schools, with a higher percentage of African American (9.38%) and Hispanic (9.56%) students. The school's racial makeup has become more diverse over the past few years, with the percentage of White students decreasing from 77.34% in 2020-2021 to 72.98% in 2022-2023. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Southeast Polk Junior High has increased from 32.53% in 2020-2021 to 36.76% in 2022-2023, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students.

Detail:

Public 7-8

8325 NE University Ave.
Pleasant Hill, IA 50327

(515) 967-5509

District: Southeast Polk Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
202^nd of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,053

Students who attend Southeast Polk Junior High usually attend:

High:

Southeast Polk High School

Feeder schools for Southeast Polk Junior High:

Elementary:	Altoona Elementary
	Centennial Elementary
	Clay Elementary
	Delaware Elementary
	More...
	Four Mile Elementary
	Mitchellville Elementary
	Runnells Elementary
	Willowbrook Elementary

Student/teacher ratio: 16.4

Number of students: 1,088

Racial breakdown:

White:

73.0%

Hispanic:

9.6%

African American:

9.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 36.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Southeast Polk Junior High ranks worse than 59.9% of middle schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 49.19. (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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southeast Polk Junior High is $13,053.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Southeast Polk Junior High was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Southeast Polk Junior High 202^nd of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Southeast Polk Junior High in the ranking list.)

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 Southeast Polk Junior High

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	56.45	151^st	349	56.7%
2013	60.52	140^th	350	60.0%
2014	48.71	193^rd	337	42.7%
2015	53.01	182^nd	349	47.9%
2016	52.07	185^th	343	46.1%
2017	57.27	143^rd	327	56.3%
2018	67.61	93^rd	318	70.8%
2019	72.85	62^nd	342	81.9%
2021	66.81	97^th	324	70.1%
2022	64.25	114^th	337	66.2%
2023	59.32	150^th	334	55.1%
2024	49.19	202^nd	337	40.1%

See the entire list of Iowa Middle 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 Southeast Polk Junior High

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	448	0	5	4	1	n/a	n/a	458
1989	445	1	6	2	1	n/a	n/a	455
1990	469	0	9	1	1	n/a	n/a	480
1991	488	2	8	4	1	n/a	n/a	503
1992	520	5	8	7	0	n/a	n/a	540
1993	589	5	4	5	1	n/a	n/a	604
1994	616	1	2	4	5	n/a	n/a	628
1995	685	7	4	10	4	n/a	n/a	710
1996	685	7	4	10	4	n/a	n/a	710
1997	677	3	6	7	4	n/a	n/a	697
1998	661	3	10	11	7	n/a	n/a	692
1999	656	3	9	7	7	n/a	n/a	682
2000	639	3	11	12	3	n/a	n/a	668
2001	652	3	2	18	3	n/a	n/a	678
2002	652	12	10	14	2	n/a	n/a	690
2003	652	12	10	14	2	n/a	n/a	690
2004	759	10	18	18	1	n/a	n/a	806
2005	756	15	18	19	5	n/a	n/a	813
2006	782	20	11	14	1	n/a	n/a	828
2007	806	19	17	18	3	n/a	n/a	863
2008	765	25	14	35	2	n/a	n/a	841
2009	771	21	21	43	5	n/a	n/a	861
2010	842	21	21	46	3	0	8	941
2011	886	15	21	57	0	0	23	1002
2012	880	18	18	57	2	0	28	1003
2013	842	27	17	53	2	2	32	975
2014	856	30	18	62	1	4	37	1008
2015	853	34	22	57	1	3	40	1010
2016	874	38	21	66	1	3	33	1036
2017	846	40	16	71	0	3	38	1014
2018	840	49	24	81	0	3	52	1049
2019	929	56	31	94	1	5	53	1169
2020	930	67	24	95	1	3	50	1170
2021	901	70	17	118	2	4	53	1165
2022	837	88	18	110	4	1	55	1113
2023	794	102	25	104	1	1	61	1088

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 Southeast Polk Junior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	458	24.0	19.0	n/a
1989	455	24.4	18.6	7.3
1990	480	23.4	20.5	0
1991	503	29.9	16.8	5.4
1992	540	28.0	19.2	6.1
1993	604	38.0	15.9	2.6
1994	628	40.0	15.7	6.2
1995	710	45.0	15.8	9.2
1996	710	45.0	15.8	9.2
1997	697	47.0	14.8	9.9
1998	692	47.0	14.7	7.7
1999	682	43.0	15.9	15.8
2000	668	47.5	14.1	15.1
2001	678	49.5	13.7	11.8
2002	690	53.5	12.9	9.3
2003	690	53.5	12.9	9.3
2004	806	56.0	14.4	13.3
2005	813	56.0	14.5	15.7
2006	828	55.8	14.8	16.4
2007	863	52.0	16.6	19.5
2008	841	53.0	15.9	20.9
2009	861	61.0	14.1	22.1
2010	941	59.0	15.9	28.3
2011	1002	56.0	17.8	29
2012	1003	58.0	17.2	26.6
2013	975	56.8	17.1	29.9
2014	1008	57.0	17.6	29.3
2015	1010	58.0	17.4	29.5
2016	1036	62.0	16.7	27
2017	1014	63.0	16.0	25.3
2018	1049	62.0	16.9	30.4
2019	1169	62.0	18.8	33
2020	1170	64.0	18.2	34.2
2021	1165	64.0	18.2	32.5
2022	1113	64.0	17.3	33.3
2023	1088	66.0	16.4	36.8

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 Southeast Polk Junior High

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	458	24.0	19.0	n/a
1989	455	24.4	18.6	7.3
1990	480	23.4	20.5	0
1991	503	29.9	16.8	5.4
1992	540	28.0	19.2	6.1
1993	604	38.0	15.9	2.6
1994	628	40.0	15.7	6.2
1995	710	45.0	15.8	9.2
1996	710	45.0	15.8	9.2
1997	697	47.0	14.8	9.9
1998	692	47.0	14.7	7.7
1999	682	43.0	15.9	15.8
2000	668	47.5	14.1	15.1
2001	678	49.5	13.7	11.8
2002	690	53.5	12.9	9.3
2003	690	53.5	12.9	9.3
2004	806	56.0	14.4	13.3
2005	813	56.0	14.5	15.7
2006	828	55.8	14.8	16.4
2007	863	52.0	16.6	19.5
2008	841	53.0	15.9	20.9
2009	861	61.0	14.1	22.1
2010	941	59.0	15.9	28.3
2011	1002	56.0	17.8	29
2012	1003	58.0	17.2	26.6
2013	975	56.8	17.1	29.9
2014	1008	57.0	17.6	29.3
2015	1010	58.0	17.4	29.5
2016	1036	62.0	16.7	27
2017	1014	63.0	16.0	25.3
2018	1049	62.0	16.9	30.4
2019	1169	62.0	18.8	33
2020	1170	64.0	18.2	34.2
2021	1165	64.0	18.2	32.5
2022	1113	64.0	17.3	33.3
2023	1088	66.0	16.4	36.8

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 Southeast Polk Junior High

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$388 (3.0%)	$12,665 (97.0%)	$13,053

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southeast Polk Junior High

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 62^nd of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 150^th of 334 Middle schools	26.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Junior High)	76.6	78.9	2.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	76.6	78.9	2.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Junior High)	76.6	74.9	1.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	76.6	74.9	1.7%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Junior High)	78	79.8	1.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	78	79.8	1.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Junior High)	83	76.1	6.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	83	76.1	6.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.8	72	0.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1169	1088	6.9%
African American	56	102	82.1%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	31	25	19.4%
Hispanic	94	104	10.6%
Pacific Islander	5	1	80%
White	929	794	14.5%
Two or More Races	53	61	15.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33%	36.8%	3.7%

Schools Near Southeast Polk Junior High

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 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southeast Polk Junior High	Public	7-8	8325 NE University Ave.	Pleasant Hill	50327	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-5509	1,088	66	16.4	36.8%	794 (73.0%)	102 (9.4%)	104 (9.6%)	25 (2.3%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (5.6%)	49.2	202^nd of 337 public middle schools	40.1%		59.3	150^th of 334 public middle schools	55.1%	52			79.7	77.2			76.3	71.2		61.7	$13,053	$388	$12,665
Spring Creek - 6th Grade	Public	6	8031 NE University Ave.	Pleasant Hill	50327	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-5533	535	34	15.7	38.3%	399 (74.6%)	32 (6.0%)	45 (8.4%)	16 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	39 (7.3%)								(n/a)		80.2				77.2					$13,720	$335	$13,385
Hoyt Middle School	Public	6-8	2700 E 42nd St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8446	486	29	16.6	79.8%	226 (46.5%)	81 (16.7%)	135 (27.8%)	14 (2.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (5.6%)	1.3	332^nd of 337 public middle schools	1.5%		1.3	329^th of 334 public middle schools	1.5%	3		45.5	50.0	52.6		41.3	32.5	42.2		36.4	$14,771	$931	$13,840
Bondurant-Farrar Junior High	Public	7-8	1201 Grant Street	Bondurant	50035	Polk County	Bondurant-Farrar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 957-7970	440	25	17.3	22.3%	375 (85.2%)	12 (2.7%)	32 (7.3%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	12 (2.7%)	57.6	159^th of 337 public middle schools	52.8%					(n/a)			78.2	84.7			65.2	77.8		72.2
Goodrell Middle School	Public	6-8	3300 E. 29th Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8444	523	32	16.2	84.5%	176 (33.7%)	99 (18.9%)	178 (34.0%)	39 (7.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.5%)	1.8	331^st of 337 public middle schools	1.8%		1.6	326^th of 334 public middle schools	2.4%	5		34.1	46.1	51.7		35.7	49.4	44.8		35.2	$15,696	$1,024	$14,672
Bondurant - Farrar Intermediate School	Public	5-6	300 Garfield St. SW	Bondurant	50035	Polk County	Bondurant-Farrar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-3711	380	30	12.4	18.9%	319 (83.9%)	17 (4.5%)	25 (6.6%)	6 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.4%)								(n/a)	69.0	85.2			60.1	80.4			60.6		$11,425	$241	$11,184
Carlisle Middle School	Public	6-8	325 Scotchridge Rd	Carlisle	50047	Warren County	Carlisle Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 989-0833	543	36	15.2	30.6%	441 (81.2%)	8 (1.5%)	52 (9.6%)	19 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.1%)	35.5	252^nd of 337 public middle schools	25.2%		49.4	196^th of 334 public middle schools	41.3%	56		65.9	61.8	75.9		68.9	65.9	76.1		61.7	$10,769	$174	$10,595
Hiatt Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 E. University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7774	529	34	15.7	94.9%	67 (12.7%)	126 (23.8%)	282 (53.3%)	28 (5.3%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.0%)	0.2	335^th of 337 public middle schools	0.6%		0.6	331^st of 334 public middle schools	0.9%	4		37.1	37.1	40.6		35.6	26.6	34.3		23.1	$16,661	$1,079	$15,582
Weeks Middle School	Public	6-8	901 East Park Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8449	684	39	17.5	85.7%	135 (19.7%)	121 (17.7%)	278 (40.6%)	102 (14.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.6%)	1.3	333^rd of 337 public middle schools	1.2%		1.4	327^th of 334 public middle schools	2.1%	6		47.7	41.5	49.7		42.0	28.4	35.2		40.8	$14,586	$1,091	$13,495
Harding Middle School	Public	6-8	203 E Euclid Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8445	655	37	17.5	89.5%	109 (16.6%)	182 (27.8%)	226 (34.5%)	87 (13.3%)	6 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (6.7%)	0.7	334^th of 337 public middle schools	0.9%		1.3	328^th of 334 public middle schools	1.8%	6		37.1	46.1	47.6		36.0	34.0	42.3		33.5	$13,719	$830	$12,889

Frequently Asked Questions about Southeast Polk Junior High

What is the racial makeup of Southeast Polk Junior High?

Students at Southeast Polk Junior High are 73% White, 10% Hispanic, 9% African American, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Southeast Polk Junior High in?

Southeast Polk Community School District

What high school do graduates of Southeast Polk Junior High attend?

Students who attend Southeast Polk Junior High usually go on to attend Southeast Polk High School

Is Southeast Polk Junior High a good school?

Southeast Polk Junior High ranks 202^nd of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Southeast Polk Junior High?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,088 students attended Southeast Polk Junior High.

Rate Southeast Polk Junior High!

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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.