Education - Education & Child Care
The Des Moines area has some top-notch schools in both the city and suburbs, with excellent academic opportunities as well as extensive extracurricular programs and facilities at schools in the city and suburbs. Under state law, a student may apply to enroll in a public school outside the district in which he or she lives. Contact individual school districts for details on open enrollment in their schools.
Preschool programs are generally available at schools throughout the city and suburbs. Private schools include quite a few religious-based schools, including a well-regarded Catholic high school, as well as a few independent options.
Higher education includes one large university, Drake, as well as small liberal arts colleges in outlying areas and an extensive community college system with several campuses. More and more institutions are utilizing distance and online learning, making for easier access to college classes and degrees.
The listings of private schools and higher education options is by no means a complete selection, but rather a cross-section of some of the education choices in the Des Moines area.
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Address: 901 Walnut St.
2. ANKENY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 965-9600
Address: 306 SW School St.
Description: One of the fastest-growing districts in the state, Ankeny serves more than 8,500 students at eight elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school. The district is in transition to two systems, divided between north and south, with four middle schools feeding into two high schools that will be virtually identical in both floor plans and curriculum. Students will be able to move between the two high schools for certain technical classes. The 95 percent–plus high school graduation rate is one of the highest in the state, while the average ACT composite score is above the state average. The district, which has just over 5 percent minority students, has programs in special education, gifted and talented, and English as a second language, and for at-risk students.
3. DALLAS CENTER–GRIMES COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 992-3866
Address: 1414 Walnut St., Suite 200
Description: There are around 2,000 students in this district out near the edge of Des Moines’s northern suburbs, who attend three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. An alternative school is available as well. The district is in the process of constructing a new school for grades 8 and 9. Average class size is around 20 students at the elementary level, 25 in middle school, and 27 in the high school. The ACT composite score is above the state average.
4. JOHNSTON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 278-0470
Address: 5608 Merle Hay Rd.
Description: This rapidly growing suburban district also has students from parts of Des Moines and Urbandale as well as rural areas around Grimes and Granger. Enrollment is over 6,000 students at five elementary schools, two middle schools, and a high school, which itself has close to 1,300 students. There is also an alternative high school and special education, as well as English as a second language classes and a gifted and talented program. ACT scores are consistently above the state average. Minority student population is around 15 percent, as are students receiving free and reduced-price lunches. The high school graduation rate is close to 95 percent, with about 90 percent going on to some form of higher education.
5. SOUTHEAST POLK COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 967-4294
Address: 8379 NE University Ave.
Description: Another rapidly growing suburban and rural district, this one is east of Des Moines. Students come from Altoona, Runnells, and Mitchellville as well as Pleasant Hill and Des Moines, with many attending classes at a central campus in Pleasant Hill that includes the senior high school, junior high school, and a sixth-grade building. There are 8 elementary schools located throughout the district. A new high school opened in 2009. There is also an alternative school. The ACT score is above the state average, and the high school graduation rate is close to 100 percent.
6. URBANDALE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 457-5000
Address: 6200 Aurora Ave.
Description: This is a large suburban district north of Des Moines with nearly 4,000 students at six elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school. All students come from Urbandale, with over 40 languages spoken. Class sizes range from the high teens in the elementary grades to around 25 students at the middle and high schools. There is an English as a second language program, as well as a gifted and talented program and an alternative program. The high school graduation rate is above 95 percent.
7. WEST DES MOINES COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 633-5000
Address: 3550 Mills Civic Pkwy.
Description: The district draws nearly 9,000 students from parts of Clive, Urbandale, and Windsor Heights as well as West Des Moines. There are 8 elementary schools plus an early childhood center for students in kindergarten through third grade, 3 junior high schools, and 3 high schools: one for freshmen, one for grades 10 through 12, and an alternative school. Minority enrollment is about 15 percent. The student–teacher ratio is 24:1 for elementary school, 19:1 for junior high, and 15:1 for high school. Classes are capped at 26 students for kindergarten through third grade and 28 for grades 4 through 6. More than 80 percent of high school graduates go on to some form of higher education.
8. Bergman Academy
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 274-0453
Description: A private, K–8 school with about 150 students and located in Greenwood/Ashworth Park on the city’s west side. The school utilizes both Montessori and traditional teaching, and also offers full- and half-day preschool options. Class sizes are small, with a 15:1 student–teacher ratio in grades K–8 and 9:1 in preschool. There are numerous student clubs and extracurricular activities.
9. Christ the King School
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 285-3349
Address: 701 Wall Ave.
Description: Both Catholic and non-Catholic students attend classes from preschool through eighth grade at this parish school on the south side of the city. Enrollment is just over 200, with a curriculum that includes reading, math, science, and social studies, as well as art and music.
10. DOWLING CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 225-3000
Address: 1400 Buffalo Rd.
Description: A coed school with about 1,200 students in grades 9 through 12, located just off I-235 and west of 73rd Street just across the border from Des Moines, Dowling offers a full curriculum of classes in English, math, science, social studies, and fine arts, as well as other subjects. A low student–teacher ratio makes for more in-depth instruction. Numerous extracurricular activities include band and choir as well as a number of student clubs, and a full slate of athletic teams, including football, basketball, baseball, swimming, golf, volleyball, soccer, wrestling, track, and tennis. The school’s campus features well-tended athletic fields.
11. GRANDVIEW PARK BAPTIST SCHOOL
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 265-7579
Address: 1701 East 33rd St.
Description: Affiliated with the adjacent church, Grandview Park has about 330 students in preschool through twelfth grade. Education at the school is based on biblical principles, with a curriculum that includes reading and math in the lower grades and offers advanced placement courses as part of the college prep instruction at the high school level. There are also technology and fine arts classes. Activities include student clubs and a full slate of athletic teams.
12. HOLY TRINITY SCHOOL
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 255-3162
Address: 2926 Beaver Ave.
Description: This Catholic school located by the church of the same name has just over 500 students from preschool through eighth grade. Class size averages about 23 students, with teacher assistants helping out in the lower grades. The curriculum includes accelerated reading classes as well as writing, math, science, and other subjects. Numerous extracurricular activities are available, including academic groups and athletics. There is a weekly Catholic liturgy.
13. IOWA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 221-3999
Address: 2501 Vine St.
Description: About 250 students from preschool through twelfth grade attend this independent, nondenominational school, which opened in 1999 and stresses Christian values and a biblical worldview. In addition to the academic curriculum, there is instruction in art and music. More than 80 percent of graduates go on to higher education. There are several athletic and extracurricular activities to choose from.
14. SACRED HEART SCHOOL
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Telephone: (515) 223-1284
Address: 1601 Grand Ave.
Description: With about 500 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, this Catholic school has a curriculum that includes reading and literature, writing, math, science, and social studies, as well as opportunities in art, music, and other extracurricular activities. The school offers all-day kindergarten, and there is a preschool program as well.
City: Des Moines, IA
Category: Education
Address: 812 University