Enrollment
645
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · West Des Moines, IA
Stilwell Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Stilwell Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 193093001796
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 77
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stilwell Junior High School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #2 of 14
- public schools in West Des Moines · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 31.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Stilwell Junior High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stilwell Junior High School ranks #2 of 14 public schools in West Des Moines, IA.
School address
District: West Des Moines Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193093001796 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
47.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stilwell Junior High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stilwell Junior High School
Stilwell Junior High School is a large middle school in West Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling 645 students.
At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 31.3% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 90% of state schools at 645 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 226 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #7, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 324 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
West Des Moines Comm School District also operates Valley High School (2,178 students) and Westridge Elementary (744 students) alongside Stilwell Junior High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Stilwell Junior High School compares
Stilwell Junior High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.3% | ▼ 14% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 645 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
645
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 45% in Iowa - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,960
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 324 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 76 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 59.7%
Hispanic or Latino 16.1%
African American 12.4%
Two or More 7.3%
Asian 4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 59.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Stilwell Junior High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Des Moines Comm School District, which includes Stilwell Junior High School.
$12,960
Per student
+1%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.0%
State 39.7%
Federal 9.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Stilwell Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westridge Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Southwoods | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Hills Junior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jordan Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stilwell Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,178
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 678
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 652
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~645 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stilwell Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Stilwell Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- West Des Moines Comm School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Stilwell Junior High School
How many students attend Stilwell Junior High School?
Stilwell Junior High School has 645 students enrolled. It is a middle school in West Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stilwell Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Stilwell Junior High School is 13.7:1, which is 7% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 13% 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 Stilwell Junior High School?
31.3% of students at Stilwell Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stilwell Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Stilwell Junior High School is White at 59.7% of enrollment, in West Des Moines, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stilwell Junior High School?
Stilwell Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Stilwell Junior High School rank among public schools in West Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Stilwell Junior High School ranks #2 of 14 public schools in West Des Moines, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in West Des Moines on the city page.
Is Stilwell Junior High School a good school?
Stilwell Junior High School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in West Des Moines Comm School District?
Besides Stilwell Junior High School, West Des Moines Comm School District also operates Valley High School (2,178 students), Westridge Elementary (744 students), and Valley Southwoods (678 students). See the West Des Moines Comm School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.