Public schools in Des Moines, WA
Des Moines has 9 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 3 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, enrolling 5,205 students. They are run by 3 districts and agencies; Highline Public Schools runs 7 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 3 districts and agencies that run Des Moines's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Des Moines | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highline Public Schools | 7 | 18,048 | $20,594 |
| Federal Way School District | 1 | 21,606 | $17,898 |
| Why Not You Academy | 1 | 146 | $26,856 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
3 high schools in Des Moines, 2,098 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Rainier High School | 1,846 | 24.0 | 49.3% | Highline Public Schools |
| Cascade Public Schools | 126 | 15.8 | 20.6% | Why Not You Academy |
| Maritime High School | 126 | 15.4 | 31.0% | Highline Public Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One middle school in Des Moines, 604 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Middle School | 604 | 18.5 | 65.4% | Highline Public Schools |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
5 elementary schools in Des Moines, 2,503 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midway Elementary | 548 | 17.8 | 69.3% | Highline Public Schools |
| Parkside Elementary | 535 | 18.8 | 71.8% | Highline Public Schools |
| North Hill Elementary | 518 | 16.7 | 34.7% | Highline Public Schools |
| Des Moines Elementary | 500 | 15.7 | 51.8% | Highline Public Schools |
| Woodmont K-8 School | 402 | 16.3 | 59.0% | Federal Way |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Des Moines's public schools compare with Washington's
The median Des Moines school has 16.7 students per full-time teacher, about the same as the Washington median of 16.7. 78% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 37% across the state. Its median school enrolls 518 students (state 391).
| Des Moines | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 16.7 | 16.7 |
| Median school size (students) | 518 | 391 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 78% | 37% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 78% | 53% |
| Charter schools | 11% | 0.6% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 9 Des Moines schools and the 2,437 Washington schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Des Moines
- Highline Public SchoolsRuns 7 of Des Moines's 9 public schools and spent $20,594 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$20,594
- Mount Rainier High School, the largest high school in Des Moines1,846 students in 2024-25, 24.0 per teacher.1,846
- Compare Highline Public Schools with Federal Way School DistrictDes Moines's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in WashingtonWashington's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Des Moines addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in Washington
Questions about schools in Des Moines
How many public schools are in Des Moines, WA?
9 public schools with an address in Des Moines were open in 2024-25: 3 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, enrolling 5,205 students. 1 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Des Moines?
Mount Rainier High School, with 1,846 students in 2024-25 (Highline Public Schools).Which districts run Des Moines's schools?
Highline Public Schools (7 schools), Federal Way School District (1 school), Why Not You Academy (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25