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
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2024-25 school year, there are 3 public high schools serving 2,986 students in West Des Moines Comm School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in Iowa.
Public High Schools in West Des Moines Comm School District have an average math proficiency score of 61% (versus the Iowa public high school average of 60%), and reading proficiency score of 73% (versus the 71% statewide average).
Public High School in West Des Moines Comm School District have a Graduation Rate of 93%, which is more than the Iowa average of 88%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Valley High School, with 96% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Iowa or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 41% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Iowa public high school average of 26% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IA)
# Schools
14 Schools
368 Schools
# Students
9,120 Students
171,832 Students
# Teachers
599 Teachers
11,227 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

District Rank

West Des Moines Comm School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 327 school districts in Iowa (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 93% has decreased from 94% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IA)
#184 out of 327 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of West Des Moines Comm   School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
66%
64%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of West Des Moines Comm   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Iowa by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
71%
70%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of West Des Moines Comm   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Iowa by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
61%
63%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of West Des Moines Comm   School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Science of Iowa by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
93%
90%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of West Des Moines Comm   School District and public school graduation rate of Iowa by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

0.63
0.43
# American Indian Students
20 Students
823 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
576 Students
3,960 Students
% Asian Students
6%
2%
# Hispanic Students
1,718 Students
21,006 Students
% Hispanic Students
19%
12%
# Black Students
1,009 Students
10,509 Students
% Black Students
11%
6%
# White Students
5,185 Students
127,263 Students
% White Students
57%
74%
# Hawaiian Students
5 Students
796 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
1%
# Two or more races Students
605 Students
7,287 Students
% of Two or more races Students
7%
4%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
313
68
# Students in K Grade:
627
92
# Students in 1st Grade:
661
78
# Students in 2nd Grade:
599
94
# Students in 3rd Grade:
621
100
# Students in 4th Grade:
668
88
# Students in 5th Grade:
637
217
# Students in 6th Grade:
628
1,389
# Students in 7th Grade:
666
5,353
# Students in 8th Grade:
714
8,048
# Students in 9th Grade:
702
40,254
# Students in 10th Grade:
819
39,868
# Students in 11th Grade:
751
38,263
# Students in 12th Grade:
714
37,920
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $16,757 is higher than the state median of $16,361. The school district revenue/student has grown by 6% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $15,825 is less than the state median of $15,938. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (IA)
Total Revenue
$153 MM
$8,262 MM
This chart displays total revenue of West Des Moines Comm   School District and median value from total revenues of all school districts in Iowa by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending
$144 MM
$8,048 MM
This chart displays total spending of West Des Moines Comm   School District and median value from total spendings of all school districts in Iowa by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Revenue / Student
$16,757
$16,361
This chart displays average revenue per public school student in West Des Moines Comm   School District and average revenue per public school student of all school districts in Iowa by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.
Spending / Student
$15,825
$15,938
This chart displays average spending per public school student in West Des Moines Comm   School District and average spending per public school student of all school districts in Iowa by year, with the latest 2020-21 school year data.

Best West Des Moines Comm School District Public High Schools (2024-25)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Valley High School
Magnet School
(Math: 66% | Reading: 75%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
3650 Woodland Ave
West Des Moines, IA 50266
(515) 633-4000
Grades: 10-12
| 2,152 students
Rank: #22.
Valley Southwoods
Magnet School
(Math: 57% | Reading: 75%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
625 S 35th St
West Des Moines, IA 50265
(515) 633-4500
Grades: 9
| 687 students
Rank: #33.
Walnut Creek Campus
Alternative School
Magnet School
(Math: 10-14% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1020 8th Street
West Des Moines, IA 50265
(515) 633-6480
Grades: 9-12
| 147 students

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Quick Stats (2024-25)

  • District size: 14 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 9,120 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 43%
  • : 93% (Top 30% in IA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 66% (Top 50%)
  • : 71% (Btm 50%)
  • : 61% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IA Dept. of Education

Quick Links