Des Moines Independent Comm School District
Public school district · Polk County · Iowa · NCES district ID 1908970
Des Moines Independent Comm School District spent $15,286 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 98% of the other Iowa districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $12,583). Its 59 schools enrolled 29,676 students in 2024-25; 54.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,990 per student, up 4.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 72% (Iowa: 87.5%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Iowa's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Des Moines Independent Comm ranks 1.
Where the money came from
$583,742,000 in revenue: 54.2% state, 30.2% local and 15.6% federal. Total spending including $52,776,000 of capital outlay was $562,554,000, or $18,301 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$316,463,000 54%
- Local$176,162,000 30%
- Federal$91,117,000 16%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 125 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
30,278 students in 2022-23, 29,871 students in 2023-24, 29,676 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 30,278 | 1920.3 | 15.8 |
| 2023-24 | 29,871 | 1894.3 | 15.8 |
| 2024-25 | 29,676 | 1891.4 | 15.7 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$143,783,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,678 per student
Des Moines Independent Comm School District booked $143,783,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 2,078 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $69,203 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 82 in 100 Iowa districts with a figure (state median $63,361, 318 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Iowa teacher salary at $59,262 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $85,589,000 | 59.5% |
| Special education | $28,290,000 | 19.7% |
| Vocational | $2,543,000 | 1.8% |
| Other programs | $27,361,000 | 19.0% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,466 in 2018-19, $4,393 in 2019-20, $4,653 in 2020-21, $4,637 in 2021-22, $4,678 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Des Moines Independent Comm School District scored proficient or above: 49% in reading and 40% in math, against 69.7% in reading and 63.8% in math across Iowa. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Iowa, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Iowa | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 49% | 69.7% | 18,282 |
| Math | 40% | 63.8% | 18,568 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
72% of the 2,284 students in Des Moines Independent Comm School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Iowa. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Iowa | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 72% | 87.5% |
| Students in the class | 2,284 | 38,026 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
38 elementary schools, 13,628 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brubaker Elementary School | 622 | 12.1 | 73.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Studebaker Elementary School | 561 | 13.1 | 77.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Garton Elementary | 535 | 14.9 | 78.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Capitol View Elementary School | 533 | 13.4 | 81.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Morris Elementary School | 519 | 13.3 | 78.4% | Schoolwide program |
| River Woods Elementary School | 493 | 11.5 | 74.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Jackson Elementary School | 490 | 14.9 | 69.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Moulton Elementary School | 465 | 14.3 | 88.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Perkins Elementary School | 438 | 15.0 | 55.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Carver Elementary | 436 | 14.2 | 80.7% | Schoolwide program |
| South Union Elementary School | 422 | 12.5 | 76.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Lovejoy Elementary School | 394 | 12.1 | 81.5% | Schoolwide program |
The other 26 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowles Elementary School | 392 | 16.7 | 15.3% | Not Title I |
| Samuelson Elementary School | 386 | 12.6 | 70.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Park Ave Elementary School | 380 | 13.2 | 76.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Hubbell Elementary | 362 | 14.8 | 37.0% | Not Title I |
| Monroe Elementary School | 341 | 11.4 | 85.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Findley Elementary School | 324 | 12.7 | 76.5% | Schoolwide program |
| King Elementary School | 315 | 13.1 | 89.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Cattell Elementary School | 314 | 11.6 | 73.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Hanawalt Elementary | 312 | 13.0 | 47.4% | Eligible, no program |
| Jefferson Elementary School | 312 | 14.2 | 32.1% | Not Title I |
| Howe Elementary | 297 | 11.4 | 80.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Stowe Elementary School | 297 | 12.1 | 72.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Greenwood Elementary School | 293 | 14.6 | 39.6% | Not Title I |
| Oak Park | 288 | 10.6 | 71.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Madison Elementary School | 285 | 12.1 | 77.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Moore Elementary School | 285 | 12.1 | 57.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Hillis Elementary School | 279 | 11.4 | 65.6% | Schoolwide program |
| McKinley Elementary School | 275 | 12.0 | 77.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Wright Elementary School | 265 | 12.2 | 67.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Phillips Elementary | 263 | 11.0 | 68.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Edmunds Elementary School | 259 | 9.0 | 89.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Walnut Street School | 257 | 14.9 | 51.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Windsor Elementary | 254 | 11.8 | 49.2% | Not Title I |
| Willard Elementary School | 247 | 10.4 | 80.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Pleasant Hill Elementary School | 241 | 11.9 | 57.7% | Eligible, no program |
| Downtown School | 197 | 13.4 | 13.7% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
10 middle schools, 5,928 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks Middle School | 688 | 14.2 | 76.0% | Schoolwide program |
| McCombs Middle School | 670 | 16.8 | 74.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Meredith Middle School | 662 | 16.4 | 72.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Merrill Middle School | 657 | 16.8 | 36.7% | Not Title I |
| Brody Middle School | 641 | 16.4 | 61.9% | Eligible, no program |
| Harding Middle School | 603 | 15.8 | 79.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Callanan Middle School | 553 | 15.8 | 72.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Goodrell Middle School | 511 | 15.3 | 74.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Hiatt Middle School | 488 | 14.1 | 84.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Hoyt Middle School | 455 | 15.8 | 72.1% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
6 high schools, 9,073 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School | 2,364 | 25.2 | 65.0% | Eligible, no program |
| Roosevelt High School | 2,051 | 31.2 | 47.9% | Eligible, no program |
| East High School | 1,952 | 21.8 | 67.3% | Eligible, no program |
| North High School | 1,428 | 21.5 | 73.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Hoover High School | 898 | 20.6 | 70.2% | Eligible, no program |
| Virtual Campus | 380 | 24.0 | 59.5% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
5 other schools, 1,047 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Early Childhood Center | 292 | 18.3 | 57.5% | Not Title I |
| McKee Elementary School | 235 | 19.6 | 53.6% | Not Title I |
| Woodlawn Early Childhood Center | 216 | 18.9 | 58.3% | Not Title I |
| Jessie Franklin Taylor | 195 | 17.1 | 71.8% | Not Title I |
| Ruby Van Meter | 109 | 5.0 | 63.3% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Des Moines Independent Comm School District
- Website: dmschools.org
- Phone: (515) 242-7911
- Office: 2100 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Des Moines Independent Comm School District
- Iowa districts by spending per studentDes Moines Independent Comm School District ranks 3 of 125 Iowa districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($15,286).#3 of 125
- Every school district in IowaDes Moines Independent Comm School District is the largest of 328 Iowa districts, with 30,739 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#1 of 328
- Cedar Rapids Community SchoolsThe next smaller Iowa district: 15,564 students in fall 2022, $14,365 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,365
- Compare Des Moines Independent Comm School District with Cedar Rapids Community SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Lincoln High School, its largest high school2,364 students in 2024-25, 25.2 per teacher.2,364
- Teacher salary spending across IowaDes Moines Independent Comm School District spent $69,203 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $63,361); spending, not a salary.$69,203
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Des Moines Independent Comm School District
How many schools and students are in Des Moines Independent Comm School District?
59 schools were open in 2024-25 (38 elementary, 10 middle, 6 high, 5 other), enrolling 29,676 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Des Moines Independent Comm School District spend per student?
$15,286 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Iowa median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,583 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,990 per student, up 4.6% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Des Moines Independent Comm School District's money come from?
$583,742,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 54.2% state, 30.2% local and 15.6% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Des Moines Independent Comm School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 7,663 of the 35,943 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 21.3%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Des Moines Independent Comm School District spend on teacher salaries?
$143,783,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,678 per student. Divided by the 2,078 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $69,203 per teacher, more than 82 in 100 Iowa districts (state median $63,361). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Iowa teacher salary at $59,262 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Des Moines Independent Comm School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Des Moines Independent Comm School District scored proficient or above: 49% in reading and 40% in math, against 69.7% in reading and 63.8% in math across Iowa. Iowa's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Des Moines Independent Comm School District?
72% of the 2,284 students in Des Moines Independent Comm School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Iowa. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Des Moines Independent Comm School District's NCES district ID?
1908970. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25