Hillside Elementary School

Summary:

Hillside Elementary School is a public elementary school in West Des Moines, Iowa, serving 559 students from pre-kindergarten to 6th grade. The school is part of the West Des Moines Community School District, which has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hillside Elementary's test scores, as measured by the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), are generally lower than the district and state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts (ELA) was 46.7%, compared to 61.8% for the district and 64.2% for the state. Similarly, in 3rd-grade Mathematics, Hillside's proficiency rate was 61.3%, compared to 74.6% for the district and 76.3% for the state. Hillside Elementary also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 54.1% to 59.62% over the past three school years, and a higher student-teacher ratio compared to nearby schools.

Hillside Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking between 394 and 463 out of 557-574 schools over the past several years. The school has also been rated 1 or 2 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance compared to other schools in the state. In comparison, the nearby Clive Learning Academy, Western Hills Elementary School, and Crestview School of Inquiry generally perform better on standardized tests and have higher SchoolDigger rankings.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

713 8th St
West Des Moines, IA 50265

(515) 633-6200

District: West Des Moines Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
463^rd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,221

Students who attend Hillside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Stilwell Junior High School
High:	Valley High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.8

Number of students: 559

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.3%

Hispanic:

22.0%

African American:

17.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Hillside Elementary School ranks worse than 83.1% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 7^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the West Des Moines Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.81. (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 Hillside Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the West Des Moines Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hillside Elementary School is $14,221, which is the 3^rd highest among 8 elementary schools in the West Des Moines Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

West Des Moines Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks West Des Moines Community School District 190^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Hillside Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	49.12	395^th	626	36.9%
2013	48.65	393^rd	624	37.0%
2014	59.45	288^th	603	52.2%
2015	48.39	402^nd	616	34.7%
2016	54.18	334^th	599	44.2%
2017	38.14	422^nd	574	26.5%
2018	41.26	391^st	567	31.0%
2019	33.62	448^th	603	25.7%
2021	37.41	403^rd	567	28.9%
2022	40.20	394^th	574	31.4%
2023	28.10	450^th	565	20.4%
2024	22.81	463^rd	557	16.9%

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 Hillside Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2005	417	34	29	93	2	n/a	n/a	575
2006	406	33	34	100	1	n/a	n/a	574
2007	405	38	40	104	2	n/a	n/a	589
2008	397	50	41	107	1	n/a	n/a	596
2009	430	59	32	96	1	n/a	n/a	618
2010	394	45	24	127	2	0	26	618
2011	376	48	17	131	0	0	25	597
2012	362	41	16	128	0	0	33	580
2013	338	40	14	145	0	0	36	573
2014	347	49	12	147	1	0	39	595
2015	331	58	16	157	1	0	34	597
2016	318	49	18	140	2	0	49	576
2017	284	62	22	146	2	0	50	566
2018	303	59	29	128	1	0	51	571
2019	308	55	42	129	3	0	45	582
2020	296	70	42	119	2	0	46	575
2021	300	75	40	110	3	0	44	572
2022	288	95	36	121	3	0	43	586
2023	270	97	19	123	4	0	46	559

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 Hillside Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	575	44.4	13.0	37.2
2006	574	43.9	13.1	34.5
2007	589	37.4	15.7	39.7
2008	596	41.8	14.3	41.9
2009	618	43.1	14.3	46.4
2010	618	43.0	14.3	51
2011	597	42.1	14.1	53.6
2012	580	44.1	13.1	56.4
2013	573	42.5	13.4	61.4
2014	595	41.7	14.2	61.7
2015	597	43.0	13.8	61.3
2016	576	43.0	13.3	60.8
2017	566	38.5	14.6	62.9
2018	571	40.1	14.2	59.9
2019	582	38.6	15.0	61.5
2020	575	36.7	15.6	58.3
2021	572	36.8	15.5	59.6
2022	586	40.2	14.5	54.1
2023	559	40.3	13.8	56.2

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 Hillside Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2005	575	44.4	13.0	37.2
2006	574	43.9	13.1	34.5
2007	589	37.4	15.7	39.7
2008	596	41.8	14.3	41.9
2009	618	43.1	14.3	46.4
2010	618	43.0	14.3	51
2011	597	42.1	14.1	53.6
2012	580	44.1	13.1	56.4
2013	573	42.5	13.4	61.4
2014	595	41.7	14.2	61.7
2015	597	43.0	13.8	61.3
2016	576	43.0	13.3	60.8
2017	566	38.5	14.6	62.9
2018	571	40.1	14.2	59.9
2019	582	38.6	15.0	61.5
2020	575	36.7	15.6	58.3
2021	572	36.8	15.5	59.6
2022	586	40.2	14.5	54.1
2023	559	40.3	13.8	56.2

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 Hillside Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$423 (3.0%)	$13,798 (97.0%)	$14,221

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Hillside 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 448^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 450^th of 565 Elementary schools	5.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hillside Elementary School)	44.2	43.2	1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Des Moines Community School District)	63	71	8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hillside Elementary School)	62.3	54.1	8.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Des Moines Community School District)	72.6	76.8	4.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hillside Elementary School)	76.3	71.2	5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Des Moines Community School District)	70.1	73.8	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hillside Elementary School)	73.7	82.2	8.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Des Moines Community School District)	75.2	79.6	4.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hillside Elementary School)	53.1	58.6	5.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (West Des Moines Community School District)	67.8	71.4	3.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hillside Elementary School)	69.1	67.1	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (West Des Moines Community School District)	77.9	77.9
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Hillside Elementary School)	61.9	58.9	3%
6th Grade English Language Arts (West Des Moines Community School District)	72.6	70.7	1.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Hillside Elementary School)	59.8	57.5	2.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (West Des Moines Community School District)	76.5	72.3	4.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	582	559	4%
African American	55	97	76.4%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	42	19	54.8%
Hispanic	129	123	4.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	308	270	12.3%
Two or More Races	45	46	2.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	61.5%	56.2%	5.3%

Schools Near Hillside 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th 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
Hillside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	713 8th St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 633-6200	559	40	13.8	56.2%	270 (48.3%)	97 (17.4%)	123 (22.0%)	19 (3.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (8.2%)	22.8	463^rd of 557 public elementary schools	16.9%		28.1	450^th of 565 public elementary schools	20.4%	13	46.7	65.8	52.8	52.1			61.3	72.6	59.7	53.5			52.8		$14,221	$423	$13,798
Hanawalt Elementary	Public	K-5	225 56th Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8411	333	26	12.8	48.6%	189 (56.8%)	92 (27.6%)	34 (10.2%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.2%)	50.3	325^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.7%		46.8	356^th of 565 public elementary schools	37.0%	31	64.6	70.0	72.9				77.1	76.0	64.6				56.3		$14,934	$665	$14,269
Fairmeadows Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	807 23rd St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6500	569	32	17.5	27.1%	387 (68.0%)	46 (8.1%)	53 (9.3%)	38 (6.7%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.6%)	63.9	212^th of 557 public elementary schools	61.9%		53.7	298^th of 565 public elementary schools	47.3%	86	75.0	75.8	75.9	81.8			80.6	79.0	76.3	75.3			58.8		$13,706	$194	$13,513
Windsor Elementary	Public	K-5	5912 University Avenue	Des Moines	50311	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8440	296	24	12.1	60.1%	169 (57.1%)	45 (15.2%)	49 (16.6%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (7.4%)	28	448^th of 557 public elementary schools	19.6%		35.2	428^th of 565 public elementary schools	24.2%	20	59.7	50.0	55.8				75.8	62.2	60.5				37.2		$15,936	$723	$15,213
Cowles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6401 College Ave	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7818	391	22	17.8	16.9%	305 (78.0%)	6 (1.5%)	25 (6.4%)	13 (3.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.7%)	61	243^rd of 557 public elementary schools	56.4%		57.7	259^th of 565 public elementary schools	54.2%	16	72.2	93.9	79.4	75.8	97.0	81.5	75.0	78.8	64.7	69.7	84.8	82.1	64.7	78.6	$14,566	$624	$13,942
Clive Learning Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	1600 73rd Street	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 633-5800	528	41	12.8	43.9%	236 (44.7%)	89 (16.9%)	116 (22.0%)	43 (8.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.1%)	50.2	327^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.3%		47.8	345^th of 565 public elementary schools	38.9%	18	54.5	75.8	72.6	74.6			70.9	80.3	72.6	65.7			61.3		$14,178	$481	$13,696
Hubbell Elementary	Public	K-5	800 42nd St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8414	407	27	15.0	44.2%	250 (61.4%)	72 (17.7%)	42 (10.3%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	35 (8.6%)	45.4	360^th of 557 public elementary schools	35.4%		38.5	407^th of 565 public elementary schools	28.0%	47	78.0	63.3	66.2				83.1	61.7	66.2				52.1		$14,542	$654	$13,888
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	316 37th Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8410	272	18	15.1	55.5%	144 (52.9%)	49 (18.0%)	38 (14.0%)	8 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	32 (11.8%)	45.1	364^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.6%		24.1	466^th of 565 public elementary schools	17.5%	102	68.8	52.3	74.2				87.5	52.3	71.0				64.5		$16,236	$666	$15,571
Western Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	600 39th St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-5900	579	38	15.4	32.5%	321 (55.4%)	66 (11.4%)	121 (20.9%)	25 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	44 (7.6%)	50	328^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.1%		47.2	351^st of 565 public elementary schools	37.9%	23	63.9	75.6	75.3	63.0			73.6	78.0	74.0	63.0			61.0		$14,254	$192	$14,062
Crestview School of Inquiry	Public	PK, KG-6	8355 Franklin Avenue	Clive	50325	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 633-5700	574	46	12.4	58.2%	135 (23.5%)	64 (11.1%)	258 (44.9%)	93 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.2%)	17.7	481^st of 557 public elementary schools	13.6%		28.4	448^th of 565 public elementary schools	20.7%	33	31.4	45.9	58.7	59.4			47.1	54.1	68.3	60.9			49.2		$14,822	$670	$14,152

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillside Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Hillside Elementary School?

Students at Hillside Elementary School are 48% White, 22% Hispanic, 17% African American, 8% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Hillside Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 559 students attended Hillside Elementary School.

Is Hillside Elementary School a good school?

Hillside Elementary School ranks in the bottom 16.9% of Iowa elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Hillside Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Hillside Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Stilwell Junior High School
High : Valley High School

What district is Hillside Elementary School in?

West Des Moines 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.