West Des Moines Comm School District

3550 Mills Civic Parkway
West Des Moines, IA 50265
(District boundaries shown in map)
5/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

West Des Moines Comm School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Iowa for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 2 public middle schools serving 1,306 students in West Des Moines Comm School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public middle schools in Iowa.
Public Middle Schools in West Des Moines Comm School District have an average math proficiency score of 76% (versus the Iowa public middle school average of 68%), and reading proficiency score of 74% (versus the 71% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 45% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Iowa public middle school average of 27% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IA)
# Schools
14 Schools
372 Schools
# Students
9,009 Students
129,526 Students
# Teachers
615 Teachers
9,068 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

West Des Moines Comm School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 325 school districts in Iowa (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 89% has decreased from 93% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IA)
#193 out of 327 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
70%
68%
71%
70%
61%
63%
89%
87.5%
(2022-23)
24.3%
24.7%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.66
0.45
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
6%
2%
% Hispanic
22%
12%
% Black
12%
6%
% White
53%
73%
% Hawaiian
n/a
1%
% Two or more races
7%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $18,803 is higher than the state median of $18,179. The school district revenue/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $21,741 is higher than the state median of $18,122. The school district spending/student has grown by 19% over four school years.
This School District
This State (IA)
Total Revenue
$169 MM
$9,049 MM
Spending
$196 MM
$9,021 MM
Revenue / Student
$18,803
$18,179
Spending / Student
$21,741
$18,122

Best West Des Moines Comm School District Public Middle Schools (2026-27)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Indian Hills Junior High School
(Math: 77% | Reading: 74%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
9401 Indian Hills Dr
Clive, IA 50325
(515) 633-4700
Gr: 7-8 | 661 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 50%
Rank: #22.
Stilwell Junior High School
(Math: 74% | Reading: 74%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
1601 Vine St
West Des Moines, IA 50265
(515) 633-6000
Gr: 7-8 | 645 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 40%

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Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • District size: 14 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 9,009 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 47%
  • : 89% (Top 20% in IA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 70% (Btm 50%)
  • : 71% (Btm 50%)
  • : 61% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IA Dept. of Education

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