Enrollment
152
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · West Des Moines, IA
Walnut Creek Campus
Federal NCES profile for Walnut Creek Campus, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 193093000393
👥 S:T ratio 53
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walnut Creek Campus earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in West Des Moines · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 66.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Walnut Creek Campus has class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walnut Creek Campus ranks #1 of 3 high schools in West Des Moines, IA.
School address
District: West Des Moines Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193093000393 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walnut Creek Campus compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walnut Creek Campus
Walnut Creek Campus is a higher-need, small high school in West Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling 152 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 66.0% of students qualify for free meals, 81% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 152 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 22 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #4.
Its student body is led by White (50%) and African American (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 155 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Among West Des Moines's high schools, it stands alongside Valley High School (2,178 students): Walnut Creek Campus is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 18.1:1).
West Des Moines Comm School District also operates Valley High School (2,178 students) and Westridge Elementary (744 students) alongside Walnut Creek Campus.
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 Walnut Creek Campus compares
Walnut Creek Campus on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.7:1 | ▼ 21% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.0% | ▲ 81% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 152 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
152
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 20% in Iowa - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.8 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 50.0%
African American 19.7%
Hispanic or Latino 18.4%
Two or More 11.2%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 50.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.5, Walnut Creek Campus is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Des Moines Comm School District, which includes Walnut Creek Campus.
$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 Walnut Creek Campus Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Westridge Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Valley Southwoods | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indian Hills Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Jordan Creek Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walnut Creek Campus'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 high schools in West Des Moines
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~152 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walnut Creek Campus's federal record.
- Compare Walnut Creek Campus 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 Walnut Creek Campus
How many students attend Walnut Creek Campus?
Walnut Creek Campus has 152 students enrolled. It is a high school in West Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walnut Creek Campus?
The student-teacher ratio at Walnut Creek Campus is 11.7:1, which is 21% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 25% 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 Walnut Creek Campus?
66.0% of students at Walnut Creek Campus are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walnut Creek Campus?
The largest demographic group at Walnut Creek Campus is White at 50.0% 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 66.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walnut Creek Campus?
Walnut Creek Campus has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Walnut Creek Campus rank among high schools in West Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Walnut Creek Campus ranks #1 of 3 high 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 high schools in West Des Moines on the city page.
Is Walnut Creek Campus a good school?
Walnut Creek Campus earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools. 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 Walnut Creek Campus, 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.