Elementary school (grades K-5) · Des Moines, IA

Pleasant Hill Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Pleasant Hill Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190897000572
0/100100/10052/100
👥 S:T ratio
49
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
52
📋 Attendance
36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Pleasant Hill Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.

#3 of 34
elementary schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
52
Resource Index · Higher
12.7:1
students per teacher
60.1%
free-lunch eligible

Pleasant Hill Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Pleasant Hill Elementary School ranks #3 of 34 elementary schools in Des Moines, IA.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-2 students YoY

Pleasant Hill Elementary School held near 211 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-2 headcount).

Teacher FTE held 19.1 → 19.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-2 students YoY 190897000572 · Des Moines, IA Elementary · SMALL · TRAD

241 enr · 12.7:1 · 60.1% lunch · RII 52

Nearest enrollment peer: Lincoln High School (2,364 students)

Pleasant Hill Elementary School held near 211 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-2 headcount). Teacher FTE held 19.1 → 19.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Iowa schools → · Find another →

Pleasant Hill Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Pleasant Hill Elementary School reports 241 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Pleasant Hill Elementary School compares

Pleasant Hill Elementary School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Iowa and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Iowa Iowa avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 12.7:1 ▼ 14% 14.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 60.1% ▲ 65% 36.4% 51.7%
Enrollment 241 top 67% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
241
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
60.1%
free-lunch eligible - 65% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher - 14% below state mean
Top 31% in Iowa - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,286
per pupil, district-wide - above Iowa avg of $13,441
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 241 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 56.8%
Hispanic or Latino 25.3%
African American 10.4%
Two or More 5.0%
Asian 2.5%

Largest group: White at 56.8% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 59.9/100

Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, Pleasant Hill Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Des Moines Independent Comm School District reports $15,286 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Pleasant Hill Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Lincoln High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Roosevelt High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
East High School Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
North High School Larger Higher economic need Higher S:T ratio
Hoover High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Pleasant Hill Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Des Moines Independent Comm School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Des Moines

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Pleasant Hill Elementary School

How many students attend Pleasant Hill Elementary School?

Pleasant Hill Elementary School has 241 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Des Moines, IA. CCD year-over-year: 213 (2022-23) → 211 (2023-24), nearly flat (-2).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Pleasant Hill Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Pleasant Hill Elementary School is 12.7:1, which is 14% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 19% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pleasant Hill Elementary School?

60.1% of students at Pleasant Hill Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pleasant Hill Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Pleasant Hill Elementary School is White at 56.8% of enrollment, in Des Moines, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Pleasant Hill Elementary School?

Pleasant Hill Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Pleasant Hill Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Des Moines?

By Resource Investment Index, Pleasant Hill Elementary School ranks #3 of 34 elementary schools in Des Moines, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Des Moines on the city page.

What other schools are in Des Moines Independent Comm School District?

Besides Pleasant Hill Elementary School, Des Moines Independent Comm School District also operates Lincoln High School (2,364 students), Roosevelt High School (2,051 students), and East High School (1,952 students). See the Des Moines Independent Comm School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

View saved