Stilwell Junior High School

Q: Is Stilwell Junior High School a good school?

Stilwell Junior High School ranks 189 th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Stilwell Junior High School is a public middle school located in West Des Moines, Iowa, serving grades 7-8 with a total enrollment of 684 students. 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.

Stilwell Junior High School has consistently performed above the state and district averages in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 76.9% of 7th-grade students and 79.3% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 77.3% and 77.5%, respectively. In Mathematics, 82% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better, compared to the state average of 73.2%. The school also has a lower percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients (36.11% in 2022-2023) compared to some of the nearby schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which have higher rates.

While Stilwell Junior High School's academic performance is generally stronger than the nearby Indian Hills Junior High School, it is not as strong as the highly-ranked Summit Middle School in the Johnston Community School District, which is located about 6 miles away. Additionally, Stilwell Junior High School's statewide ranking and SchoolDigger rating have declined in recent years, dropping to 189th out of 337 Iowa middle schools in the 2023-2024 school year, with a 2-star rating. Further investigation is needed to understand the factors contributing to this decline.

Detail:

Public 7-8

1601 Vine St
West Des Moines, IA 50265

(515) 633-6000

District: West Des Moines Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
189^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,102

Students who attend Stilwell Junior High School usually attend:

High:

Valley High School

Feeder schools for Stilwell Junior High School:

Elementary:	Fairmeadows Elementary School
	Hillside Elementary School
	Jordan Creek Elementary School
	Western Hills Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 644

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.7%

Hispanic:

14.3%

African American:

12.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Stilwell Junior High School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Stilwell Junior High School ranks worse than 56.1% of middle schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 52.07. (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 Student population at Stilwell Junior High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (62.7%), Hispanic (14.3%), African American (12.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Stilwell Junior High School is 13.4. (See more...)

Compare Stilwell Junior High School employs 47.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Stilwell Junior High School is $15,102.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Stilwell Junior High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Stilwell Junior High School 189^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Stilwell Junior High School in the ranking list.)

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 Stilwell Junior High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	79.58	25^th	349	92.8%
2013	85.51	10^th	350	97.1%
2014	76.88	39^th	337	88.4%
2015	79.29	38^th	349	89.1%
2016	85.38	16^th	343	95.3%
2017	75.26	50^th	327	84.7%
2018	69.03	84^th	318	73.6%
2019	73.03	61^st	342	82.2%
2021	62.07	121^st	324	62.7%
2022	46.85	201^st	337	40.4%
2023	56.78	166^th	334	50.3%
2024	52.07	189^th	337	43.9%

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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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Stilwell Junior High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	476	11	10	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	511
1989	486	7	15	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	517
1990	531	4	9	5	3	n/a	n/a	0	552
1991	550	13	14	7	6	n/a	n/a	0	590
1992	575	12	18	9	5	n/a	n/a	0	619
1993	619	17	11	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	654
1994	653	19	12	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	693
1995	627	9	10	12	3	n/a	n/a	0	661
1996	627	9	10	12	3	n/a	n/a	0	661
1997	639	8	19	16	1	n/a	n/a	0	683
1998	652	10	20	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	698
1999	647	20	21	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	709
2000	616	20	18	20	0	n/a	n/a	0	674
2001	604	21	18	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	668
2002	672	31	22	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	753
2003	672	31	22	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	753
2004	657	33	30	32	1	n/a	n/a	0	753
2005	565	34	25	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	666
2006	603	30	30	47	1	n/a	n/a	0	711
2007	630	23	39	53	0	n/a	n/a	0	745
2008	577	38	34	52	0	n/a	n/a	0	701
2009	559	39	28	61	0	n/a	n/a	0	687
2010	577	35	24	76	6	1	14	0	733
2011	561	36	33	66	10	1	27	0	734
2012	522	31	30	64	6	2	30	0	685
2013	526	34	29	76	3	1	30	0	699
2014	513	41	32	81	2	0	33	0	702
2015	545	34	32	63	1	0	35	0	710
2016	556	32	40	62	0	0	34	0	724
2017	513	34	44	70	3	0	32	0	696
2018	500	58	33	80	2	0	32	0	705
2019	470	54	28	90	1	1	26	0	670
2020	500	67	34	79	0	1	37	0	718
2021	474	62	37	71	2	0	52	0	698
2022	455	72	36	97	2	0	53	0	715
2023	449	72	30	91	1	1	39	1	684
2024	404	81	24	92	1	0	42	0	644

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 Stilwell Junior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	511	30.9	16.5	4.1
1989	517	31.8	16.2	2.7
1990	552	32.7	16.8	2.5
1991	590	34.2	17.2	5.1
1992	619	36.0	17.1	3.2
1993	654	38.7	16.9	5.5
1994	693	40.0	17.3	8.8
1995	661	41.8	15.8	5
1996	661	41.8	15.8	5
1997	683	44.4	15.4	6.9
1998	698	43.7	16.0	6.4
1999	709	42.3	16.8	12
2000	674	43.9	15.4	8
2001	668	44.0	15.2	12.7
2002	753	49.1	15.3	12.5
2003	753	49.1	15.3	12.5
2004	753	50.3	15.0	10.6
2005	666	48.0	13.9	14
2006	711	52.4	13.6	15.3
2007	745	50.2	14.8	16.8
2008	701	49.9	14.0	15.7
2009	687	51.0	13.5	18.9
2010	733	48.3	15.1	24.3
2011	734	48.6	15.0	24.5
2012	685	46.5	14.7	23.9
2013	699	49.6	14.0	30.9
2014	702	48.0	14.6	34.2
2015	710	50.0	14.2	31.8
2016	724	50.0	14.4	26.5
2017	696	47.1	14.7	25.6
2018	705	47.8	14.7	32.8
2019	670	43.6	15.3	37.2
2020	718	47.2	15.2	32.5
2021	698	46.8	14.9	34.4
2022	715	47.7	14.9	33.7
2023	684	47.7	14.3	36.1
2024	644	47.7	13.4	29

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 Stilwell Junior High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	511	30.9	16.5	4.1
1989	517	31.8	16.2	2.7
1990	552	32.7	16.8	2.5
1991	590	34.2	17.2	5.1
1992	619	36.0	17.1	3.2
1993	654	38.7	16.9	5.5
1994	693	40.0	17.3	8.8
1995	661	41.8	15.8	5
1996	661	41.8	15.8	5
1997	683	44.4	15.4	6.9
1998	698	43.7	16.0	6.4
1999	709	42.3	16.8	12
2000	674	43.9	15.4	8
2001	668	44.0	15.2	12.7
2002	753	49.1	15.3	12.5
2003	753	49.1	15.3	12.5
2004	753	50.3	15.0	10.6
2005	666	48.0	13.9	14
2006	711	52.4	13.6	15.3
2007	745	50.2	14.8	16.8
2008	701	49.9	14.0	15.7
2009	687	51.0	13.5	18.9
2010	733	48.3	15.1	24.3
2011	734	48.6	15.0	24.5
2012	685	46.5	14.7	23.9
2013	699	49.6	14.0	30.9
2014	702	48.0	14.6	34.2
2015	710	50.0	14.2	31.8
2016	724	50.0	14.4	26.5
2017	696	47.1	14.7	25.6
2018	705	47.8	14.7	32.8
2019	670	43.6	15.3	37.2
2020	718	47.2	15.2	32.5
2021	698	46.8	14.9	34.4
2022	715	47.7	14.9	33.7
2023	684	47.7	14.3	36.1
2024	644	47.7	13.4	29

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 Stilwell Junior High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$192 (1.3%)	$14,909 (98.7%)	$15,102

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Stilwell Junior High 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 61^st of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 166^th of 334 Middle schools	31.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade English Language Arts (Stilwell Junior High School)	78.7	81.2	2.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (West Des Moines Community School District)	76.5	79.6	3.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Stilwell Junior High School)	76.9	75.4	1.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (West Des Moines Community School District)	75.3	75.9	0.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Stilwell Junior High School)	77.7	76.3	1.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (West Des Moines Community School District)	74.9	78	3.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Stilwell Junior High School)	80.7	74.9	5.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (West Des Moines Community School District)	76.7	78.1	1.4%
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	670	684	2.1%
African American	54	72	33.3%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	28	30	7.1%
Hispanic	90	91	1.1%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	470	449	4.5%
Two or More Races	26	39	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	37.2%	36.1%	1.1%

Schools Near Stilwell Junior High 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 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Stilwell Junior High School	Public	7-8	1601 Vine St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6000	644	48	13.4	29.0%	404 (62.7%)	81 (12.6%)	92 (14.3%)	24 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.5%)	52.1	189^th of 337 public middle schools	43.9%		56.8	166^th of 334 public middle schools	50.3%	23		76.9	79.3		66.2	82.0	67.2	$15,102	$192	$14,909
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	651	37	17.3	36.4%	384 (59.0%)	105 (16.1%)	74 (11.4%)	22 (3.4%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	59 (9.1%)	42.5	224^th of 337 public middle schools	33.5%		42.4	220^th of 334 public middle schools	34.1%	4	73.4	73.4	77.3	70.3	67.1	69.0	65.9	$12,938	$599	$12,340
Indian Hills Junior High School	Public	7-8	9401 Indian Hills Dr	Clive	50325	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4700	653	55	11.8	33.2%	333 (51.0%)	77 (11.8%)	149 (22.8%)	55 (8.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.8%)	59.8	149^th of 337 public middle schools	55.8%		65.5	109^th of 334 public middle schools	67.4%	40		83.2	77.3		78.9	81.3	64.5	$15,125	$193	$14,931
Callanan Middle School	Public	6-8	3010 Center Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8101	543	33	16.5	74.0%	142 (26.2%)	213 (39.2%)	113 (20.8%)	22 (4.1%)	3 (0.6%)	5 (0.9%)	43 (7.9%)	6.9	319^th of 337 public middle schools	5.3%		7.2	316^th of 334 public middle schools	5.4%	3	51.1	56.1	64.4	44.4	42.4	57.1	50.3	$15,075	$880	$14,196
Brody Middle School	Public	6-8	2501 Park Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8443	598	32	18.6	64.5%	278 (46.5%)	74 (12.4%)	177 (29.6%)	26 (4.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.5%)	6.6	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%		2.3	325^th of 334 public middle schools	2.7%	5	52.8	52.2	59.9	46.7	42.3	63.4	45.1	$14,143	$628	$13,515
Urbandale Middle School	Public	6-8	7701 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 457-6600	869	57	15.2	37.1%	553 (63.6%)	80 (9.2%)	116 (13.3%)	65 (7.5%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	51 (5.9%)	49.3	201^st of 337 public middle schools	40.4%		49.1	197^th of 334 public middle schools	41.0%	4	72.8	81.8	80.3	71.1	70.7	74.0	61.7	$8,993	$119	$8,874
Meredith Middle School	Public	6-8	4827 Madison Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7250	653	46	14.2	74.3%	145 (22.2%)	211 (32.3%)	148 (22.7%)	91 (13.9%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (8.4%)	4.2	323^rd of 337 public middle schools	4.2%		4.6	320^th of 334 public middle schools	4.2%	3	50.0	57.6	51.4	43.4	50.0	51.6	42.7	$14,971	$1,099	$13,873
Summit Middle School	Public	6-7	9500 Windsor Parkway	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-0318	1,135	69	16.4	29.5%	727 (64.1%)	126 (11.1%)	80 (7.0%)	139 (12.2%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	54 (4.8%)	68.9	96^th of 337 public middle schools	71.5%		74.6	62^nd of 334 public middle schools	81.4%	34	82.3	84.0		82.9	75.4			$11,977	$474	$11,503
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	634	38	16.6	81.9%	100 (15.8%)	180 (28.4%)	210 (33.1%)	83 (13.1%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	54 (8.5%)	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
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	668	42	15.9	77.7%	132 (19.8%)	123 (18.4%)	271 (40.6%)	96 (14.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.7%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Stilwell Junior High School

How many students attend Stilwell Junior High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 644 students attended Stilwell Junior High School.

What is the racial makeup of Stilwell Junior High School?

Students at Stilwell Junior High School are 63% White, 14% Hispanic, 13% African American, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Stilwell Junior High School attend?

Students who attend Stilwell Junior High School usually go on to attend Valley High School

Is Stilwell Junior High School a good school?

Stilwell Junior High School ranks 189^th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Stilwell Junior High 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.