Walnut Hills Elementary School

Summary:

Walnut Hills Elementary School is a high-performing public elementary school in Urbandale, Iowa, serving 625 students from kindergarten to 5th grade as part of the Waukee Community School District. The school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Iowa, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger and outperforming state and district averages on standardized tests.

Walnut Hills Elementary School's academic excellence is evident in its impressive test scores. In the 2023-2024 school year, 88.1% of 3rd graders, 92% of 4th graders, and 88% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, significantly higher than the Waukee Community School District and Iowa state averages. In Mathematics, the school had even stronger results, with 97.2% of 3rd graders, 96.5% of 4th graders, and 93.5% of 5th graders scoring proficient or better. The school's 5th-grade Science proficiency rate of 81.5% also exceeded the district and state averages.

While Walnut Hills Elementary School's academic performance is exceptional, it is worth noting that the school has a relatively low percentage of students (8.8%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a more affluent student population compared to some nearby schools, such as Maple Grove Elementary and Eason Elementary, which have significantly higher percentages of students from low-income families. The school's student-teacher ratio of 16.2 is also within a reasonable range for an elementary school.

Detail:

Public K-5

4240 156th St
Urbandale, IA 50323

(515) 987-3585

District: Waukee Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
5^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,663

Students who attend Walnut Hills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Waukee Middle School
High:	Northwest High School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.2

Number of students: 625

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.7%

Two or more races:

6.2%

Asian:

5.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 8.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Walnut Hills Elementary School ranks better than 99.1% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks first among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Waukee Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 92.48. (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 Walnut Hills Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Waukee Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Walnut Hills Elementary School is $11,663, which is the 2^nd highest among 8 elementary schools in the Waukee Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Walnut Hills Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Waukee Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waukee Community School District 44^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Walnut Hills Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	80.82	49^th	626	92.2%
2013	81.46	35^th	624	94.4%
2014	82.11	47^th	603	92.2%
2015	82.36	43^rd	616	93.0%
2016	76.66	102^nd	599	83.0%
2017	82.01	49^th	574	91.5%
2018	85.43	35^th	567	93.8%
2019	91.94	11^th	603	98.2%
2021	90.34	19^th	567	96.6%
2022	90.26	17^th	574	97.0%
2023	93.44	4^th	565	99.3%
2024	92.48	5^th	557	99.1%

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 Walnut Hills Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2006	643	15	32	16	0	n/a	n/a	706
2007	756	24	33	16	0	n/a	n/a	829
2008	665	10	27	15	0	n/a	n/a	717
2009	706	10	36	14	0	n/a	n/a	766
2010	716	5	34	23	4	0	16	798
2011	466	7	21	20	1	1	10	526
2012	490	6	22	15	1	1	11	546
2013	532	9	30	21	2	1	19	614
2014	650	8	34	26	2	2	24	746
2015	747	5	36	27	2	1	25	843
2016	706	3	34	23	2	1	30	799
2017	543	2	28	14	0	0	29	616
2018	609	6	30	25	0	0	33	703
2019	593	10	36	26	0	0	37	702
2020	599	6	37	21	0	0	39	702
2021	568	15	31	23	0	0	42	679
2022	520	25	34	24	0	0	39	642
2023	498	26	33	29	0	0	39	625

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 Hills Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	706	35.0	20.2	10.1
2007	829	39.7	20.9	8.7
2008	717	42.8	16.8	4.3
2009	766	46.3	16.5	3.7
2010	798	48.4	16.4	3.9
2011	526	33.5	15.7	6.1
2012	546	35.1	15.5	4.9
2013	614	36.5	16.8	5.2
2014	746	44.6	16.7	3.6
2015	843	45.0	18.7	3.4
2016	799	45.0	17.7	3.3
2017	616	38.2	16.1	6
2018	703	38.9	18.0	4.8
2019	702	41.9	16.7	6.3
2020	702	41.8	16.7	3.7
2021	679	43.3	15.6	4.7
2022	642	41.6	15.4	6.1
2023	625	38.4	16.2	8.8

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 Walnut Hills Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	706	35.0	20.2	10.1
2007	829	39.7	20.9	8.7
2008	717	42.8	16.8	4.3
2009	766	46.3	16.5	3.7
2010	798	48.4	16.4	3.9
2011	526	33.5	15.7	6.1
2012	546	35.1	15.5	4.9
2013	614	36.5	16.8	5.2
2014	746	44.6	16.7	3.6
2015	843	45.0	18.7	3.4
2016	799	45.0	17.7	3.3
2017	616	38.2	16.1	6
2018	703	38.9	18.0	4.8
2019	702	41.9	16.7	6.3
2020	702	41.8	16.7	3.7
2021	679	43.3	15.6	4.7
2022	642	41.6	15.4	6.1
2023	625	38.4	16.2	8.8

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 Walnut Hills Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$253 (2.2%)	$11,410 (97.8%)	$11,663

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Walnut Hills Elementary 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 11^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 4^th of 565 Elementary schools	1.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Walnut Hills Elementary School)	86.4	93.8	7.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waukee Community School District)	82.5	80.5	2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Walnut Hills Elementary School)	90	95.5	5.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Waukee Community School District)	87.5	87.5
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Walnut Hills Elementary School)	92.3	88.9	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waukee Community School District)	87	85.5	1.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Walnut Hills Elementary School)	95.7	94.4	1.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Waukee Community School District)	91	87.3	3.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Walnut Hills Elementary School)	88.1	94.6	6.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Waukee Community School District)	83.8	83	0.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Walnut Hills Elementary School)	91.1	97.3	6.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Waukee Community School District)	89.4	87.8	1.6%
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	702	625	11%
African American	10	26	160%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	36	33	8.3%
Hispanic	26	29	11.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	593	498	16%
Two or More Races	37	39	5.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	6.3%	8.8%	2.5%

Schools Near Walnut Hills Elementary School

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
Walnut Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	4240 156th St	Urbandale	50323	Polk County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-3585	625	38	16.2	8.8%	498 (79.7%)	26 (4.2%)	29 (4.6%)	33 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.2%)	92.5	5^th of 557 public elementary schools	99.1%		93.4	4^th of 565 public elementary schools	99.3%	1	88.1	92.0	88.0	97.2	96.5	93.5	81.5	$11,663	$253	$11,410
Shuler Elementary School	Public	K-5	16400 Douglas Parkway	Clive	50325	Polk County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-8597	658	41	15.9	6.7%	543 (82.5%)	15 (2.3%)	20 (3.0%)	39 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.2%)	87.6	20^th of 557 public elementary schools	96.4%		91.8	6^th of 565 public elementary schools	98.9%	14	83.0	89.5	87.5	87.7	86.3	91.7	83.3	$10,872	$236	$10,636
Radiant Elementary School	Public	K-5	5050 170th ST	Urbandale	50323	Polk County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5161	682	43	15.8	8.8%	537 (78.7%)	29 (4.3%)	30 (4.4%)	49 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.4%)	78.5	78^th of 557 public elementary schools	86.0%		81.7	67^th of 565 public elementary schools	88.1%	11	70.1	80.3	82.4	85.4	86.1	87.8	77.9
Grant Ragan Elementary School	Public	K-5	645 NE Dartmoor Drive	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 987-0435	620	45	13.6	22.3%	436 (70.3%)	35 (5.6%)	53 (8.5%)	44 (7.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	50 (8.1%)	77.8	84^th of 557 public elementary schools	84.9%		74	125^th of 565 public elementary schools	77.9%	41	75.3	75.5	84.3	86.0	81.1	86.1	79.6	$10,993	$199	$10,794
Webster Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12955 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50323	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 331-8600	510	38	13.5	19.6%	389 (76.3%)	26 (5.1%)	28 (5.5%)	44 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.5%)	83.1	50^th of 557 public elementary schools	91.0%					(n/a)	81.6	88.3	83.8	86.8	84.4	83.8	77.0	$15,431	$254	$15,178
Eason Elementary School	Public	K-5	605 SE Boone Dr	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 987-5200	641	43	15.0	31.2%	422 (65.8%)	88 (13.7%)	50 (7.8%)	35 (5.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (7.0%)	77.1	87^th of 557 public elementary schools	84.4%		73.9	127^th of 565 public elementary schools	77.5%	40	78.6	82.5	75.2	83.7	82.5	83.8	76.9	$10,989	$276	$10,712
Maple Grove Elementary School	Public	K-5	1455 98th St	West Des Moines	50266	Polk County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-3363	439	35	12.4	34.2%	225 (51.3%)	72 (16.4%)	49 (11.2%)	38 (8.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (12.3%)	63.3	219^th of 557 public elementary schools	60.7%		68	181^st of 565 public elementary schools	68.0%	38	76.7	73.8	73.2	83.6	70.8	76.8	62.5	$11,397	$370	$11,027
Waukee Elementary School	Public	K-5	850 6th St	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5193	682	44	15.4	19.5%	500 (73.3%)	27 (4.0%)	53 (7.8%)	36 (5.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (9.5%)	76.5	98^th of 557 public elementary schools	82.4%		82.3	64^th of 565 public elementary schools	88.7%	34	80.5	84.4	78.6	84.1	86.1	79.5	67.0	$10,849	$259	$10,590
South Prairie Elementary	Public	K-4	500 S James St	Grimes	50111	Polk County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 986-4057	452	32	14.2	24.3%	355 (78.5%)	52 (11.5%)	18 (4.0%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.4%)								(n/a)								$11,303	$380	$10,924
Brookview Elementary School	Public	K-5	8000 E.P. True Parkway	West Des Moines	50266	Polk County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5166	603	43	13.9	21.1%	385 (63.8%)	49 (8.1%)	48 (8.0%)	84 (13.9%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.8%)	79.9	74^th of 557 public elementary schools	86.7%		84.3	44^th of 565 public elementary schools	92.2%	30	83.2	86.3	77.1	86.1	86.3	83.3	70.8	$11,444	$186	$11,258

Frequently Asked Questions about Walnut Hills Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Walnut Hills Elementary School?

Students at Walnut Hills Elementary School are 80% White, 6% Two or more races, 5% Asian, 5% Hispanic, 4% African American.

What district is Walnut Hills Elementary School in?

Waukee Community School District

Is Walnut Hills Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Walnut Hills Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 5^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools.

How many students attend Walnut Hills Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 625 students attended Walnut Hills Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Walnut Hills Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Walnut Hills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Waukee Middle School
High : Northwest High 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.