Fairmeadows Elementary School

Q: Is Fairmeadows Elementary School a good school?

Fairmeadows Elementary School ranks 212 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Fairmeadows Elementary School is a public elementary school in West Des Moines, Iowa, serving grades PK-6 with a student population of 569. The school is part of the West Des Moines Community School District, which is ranked 190 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Fairmeadows Elementary consistently outperforms the West Des Moines Community School District and the state of Iowa in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Fairmeadows had 75-81.8% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 61.8-77.9% for the district and 64.2-74.5% for the state. In Mathematics, Fairmeadows had 75.3-80.6% proficiency, compared to 74-77.1% for the district and 71.1-76.3% for the state. Additionally, Fairmeadows has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (27.07% in 2022-2023) compared to some nearby schools, such as Crestview School of Inquiry (58.19%) and Hillside Elementary (56.17%).

Despite its strong academic performance, Fairmeadows Elementary's statewide ranking has declined in recent years, dropping from a high of 4-5 stars out of 5 to 2 stars out of 5 in the 2022-2023 school year. This could be due to factors beyond just academic achievement, such as changes in the school's demographics, funding, or other resources. Nonetheless, Fairmeadows Elementary School stands out as a high-performing elementary school within the West Des Moines Community School District, with strong academic achievement and a relatively low percentage of students from low-income families.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

807 23rd St
West Des Moines, IA 50265

(515) 633-6500

District: West Des Moines Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
212^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,706

Students who attend Fairmeadows Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Stilwell Junior High School
High:	Valley High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.5

Number of students: 569

Racial breakdown:

White:

68.0%

Hispanic:

9.3%

African American:

8.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 27.1%

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Compare Fairmeadows Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Fairmeadows Elementary School ranks better than 61.9% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 4^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 63.88. (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 Fairmeadows 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 Fairmeadows Elementary School is $13,706. 5 elementary schools in the West Des Moines Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Fairmeadows 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 Fairmeadows Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	77.66	77^th	626	87.7%
2013	79.26	49^th	624	92.1%
2014	77.95	80^th	603	86.7%
2015	79.81	67^th	616	89.1%
2016	81.44	53^rd	599	91.2%
2017	80.56	59^th	574	89.7%
2018	80.97	59^th	567	89.6%
2019	77.82	108^th	603	82.1%
2021	64.30	202^nd	567	64.4%
2022	61.46	234^th	574	59.2%
2023	53.73	298^th	565	47.3%
2024	63.88	212^th	557	61.9%

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 Fairmeadows Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	489	7	15	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
1989	524	10	12	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	549
1990	559	9	18	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	589
1991	522	7	11	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	542
1992	502	5	16	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	526
1993	492	6	9	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
1994	457	4	11	9	1	n/a	n/a	0	482
1995	480	8	14	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
1996	480	8	14	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
1997	485	7	14	19	0	n/a	n/a	0	525
1998	469	11	16	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
1999	441	14	18	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	494
2000	483	19	20	14	0	n/a	n/a	-28	508
2001	446	21	16	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	506
2002	448	16	16	36	0	n/a	n/a	0	516
2003	448	16	16	36	0	n/a	n/a	0	516
2004	419	20	13	35	0	n/a	n/a	0	487
2005	399	18	13	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	463
2006	386	19	16	48	1	n/a	n/a	0	470
2007	392	16	20	56	1	n/a	n/a	0	485
2008	395	18	21	45	1	n/a	n/a	0	480
2009	415	26	20	37	1	n/a	n/a	0	499
2010	406	16	12	57	3	0	21	0	515
2011	412	14	14	55	3	0	22	0	520
2012	426	13	16	55	2	0	23	0	535
2013	440	18	15	50	2	0	21	0	546
2014	445	19	18	46	3	0	24	0	555
2015	429	23	21	52	2	0	32	0	559
2016	448	26	24	39	3	0	26	0	566
2017	433	39	25	41	2	0	27	0	567
2018	432	34	23	43	2	0	32	0	566
2019	433	25	30	39	2	0	35	0	564
2020	419	35	30	42	2	0	43	0	571
2021	409	47	27	41	2	0	39	0	565
2022	398	48	34	46	1	0	36	0	563
2023	387	46	38	53	2	0	43	0	569

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 Fairmeadows Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	515	25.8	19.9	2.3
1989	549	26.3	20.8	2
1990	589	28.8	20.4	2.5
1991	542	28.5	19.0	1.7
1992	526	29.0	18.1	0.8
1993	510	28.2	18.1	1.8
1994	482	28.2	17.1	3.1
1995	515	29.4	17.5	3.3
1996	515	29.4	17.5	3.3
1997	525	29.9	17.6	5
1998	510	30.0	17.0	5.7
1999	494	29.0	17.0	10.5
2000	508	30.5	16.7	6.7
2001	506	21.8	23.2	10.3
2002	516	29.5	17.5	12.6
2003	516	29.5	17.5	12.6
2004	487	30.0	16.2	13.3
2005	463	30.0	15.4	14.9
2006	470	30.0	15.7	16.6
2007	485	29.0	16.7	22.7
2008	480	31.2	15.4	21.9
2009	499	32.8	15.2	19.6
2010	515	32.2	15.9	25.4
2011	520	30.8	16.8	25
2012	535	33.5	15.9	27.7
2013	546	32.7	16.6	30.2
2014	555	32.5	17.0	29.5
2015	559	32.0	17.4	30.2
2016	566	34.0	16.6	27.6
2017	567	35.6	15.9	30.2
2018	566	35.8	15.7	30.2
2019	564	33.3	16.9	30
2020	571	33.8	16.8	28.9
2021	565	33.8	16.7	30.6
2022	563	32.9	17.0	27.5
2023	569	32.3	17.5	27.1

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 Fairmeadows Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	515	25.8	19.9	2.3
1989	549	26.3	20.8	2
1990	589	28.8	20.4	2.5
1991	542	28.5	19.0	1.7
1992	526	29.0	18.1	0.8
1993	510	28.2	18.1	1.8
1994	482	28.2	17.1	3.1
1995	515	29.4	17.5	3.3
1996	515	29.4	17.5	3.3
1997	525	29.9	17.6	5
1998	510	30.0	17.0	5.7
1999	494	29.0	17.0	10.5
2000	508	30.5	16.7	6.7
2001	506	21.8	23.2	10.3
2002	516	29.5	17.5	12.6
2003	516	29.5	17.5	12.6
2004	487	30.0	16.2	13.3
2005	463	30.0	15.4	14.9
2006	470	30.0	15.7	16.6
2007	485	29.0	16.7	22.7
2008	480	31.2	15.4	21.9
2009	499	32.8	15.2	19.6
2010	515	32.2	15.9	25.4
2011	520	30.8	16.8	25
2012	535	33.5	15.9	27.7
2013	546	32.7	16.6	30.2
2014	555	32.5	17.0	29.5
2015	559	32.0	17.4	30.2
2016	566	34.0	16.6	27.6
2017	567	35.6	15.9	30.2
2018	566	35.8	15.7	30.2
2019	564	33.3	16.9	30
2020	571	33.8	16.8	28.9
2021	565	33.8	16.7	30.6
2022	563	32.9	17.0	27.5
2023	569	32.3	17.5	27.1

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 Fairmeadows Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$194 (1.4%)	$13,513 (98.6%)	$13,706

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Fairmeadows 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 108^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 298^th of 565 Elementary schools	34.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fairmeadows Elementary School)	71.8	70.3	1.5%
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 (Fairmeadows Elementary School)	85.9	79.7	6.2%
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 (Fairmeadows Elementary School)	76	72.5	3.5%
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 (Fairmeadows Elementary School)	84	80	4%
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 (Fairmeadows Elementary School)	76.8	63.8	13%
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 (Fairmeadows Elementary School)	89	80	9%
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 (Fairmeadows Elementary School)	79.7	68.8	10.9%
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 (Fairmeadows Elementary School)	87.8	70.1	17.7%
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	564	569	0.9%
African American	25	46	84%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	30	38	26.7%
Hispanic	39	53	35.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	433	387	10.6%
Two or More Races	35	43	22.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	30%	27.1%	2.9%

Schools Near Fairmeadows 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
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
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
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
Jordan Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4105 Fuller Rd	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-5200	647	39	16.3	22.6%	436 (67.4%)	44 (6.8%)	76 (11.7%)	38 (5.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (7.9%)	79.5	75^th of 557 public elementary schools	86.5%		73.4	131^st of 565 public elementary schools	76.8%	56	73.7	80.8	80.9	89.9			88.2	84.9	84.5	84.8			72.7		$13,612	$247	$13,365
Crossroads Park Elementary School	Public	K-6	1050 50th St	West Des Moines	50266	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-5600	521	37	14.1	32.6%	323 (62.0%)	48 (9.2%)	93 (17.9%)	21 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (6.7%)	76.8	94^th of 557 public elementary schools	83.1%		80.5	75^th of 565 public elementary schools	86.7%	19	68.1	79.0	84.8	96.2			82.6	76.5	87.3	87.2			72.2		$13,999	$194	$13,805
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Fairmeadows Elementary School

Is Fairmeadows Elementary School a good school?

Fairmeadows Elementary School ranks 212^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Fairmeadows Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 569 students attended Fairmeadows Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Fairmeadows Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Stilwell Junior High School
High : Valley High School

What district is Fairmeadows Elementary School in?

West Des Moines Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Fairmeadows Elementary School?

Students at Fairmeadows Elementary School are 68% White, 9% Hispanic, 8% African American, 8% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

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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.