Enrollment
396
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Des Moines, IA
Woodside Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Woodside Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192532001448
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 74
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Woodside Middle School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 34
- elementary schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 67.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Woodside Middle School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Woodside Middle School ranks #2 of 34 elementary schools in Des Moines, IA.
School address
District: Saydel Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192532001448 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+85% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Woodside Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Woodside Middle School
Woodside Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling 396 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.3:1, Woodside Middle School is leaner than roughly 85% of Iowa schools and 24% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 67.4% of students qualify for free meals, 85% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 396 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 121 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 132 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 145 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 396 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Des Moines's elementary schools, it stands alongside Brubaker Elementary School (622 students): Woodside Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.3:1 vs 12:1).
Saydel Comm School District also operates Cornell Elementary School (555 students) and Saydel High School (458 students) alongside Woodside Middle 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 Woodside Middle School compares
Woodside Middle 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 | 11.3:1 | ▼ 24% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.4% | ▲ 85% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 396 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
396
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 85% 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
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 15% in Iowa - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.0%
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
$14,530
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 132 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 121 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.6 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 66.2%
Hispanic or Latino 21.2%
Two or More 10.6%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 66.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.5, Woodside Middle School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saydel Comm School District, which includes Woodside Middle School.
$14,530
Per student
+13%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.5%
State 24.9%
Federal 10.6%
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 Woodside Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Saydel High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Woodside Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 458
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Des Moines
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Brubaker Elementary School
Standard public school
622 students 12:1 students per teacher
Studebaker Elementary School
Standard public school
561 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Garton Elementary
Standard public school
535 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Morris Elementary School
Standard public school
519 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
River Woods Elementary School
Standard public school
493 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Jackson Elementary School
Standard public school
490 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~396 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Woodside Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Woodside Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Saydel 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 Woodside Middle School
How many students attend Woodside Middle School?
Woodside Middle School has 396 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Woodside Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Woodside Middle School is 11.3:1, which is 24% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 28% 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 Woodside Middle School?
67.4% of students at Woodside Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Woodside Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Woodside Middle School is White at 66.2% of enrollment, in Des Moines, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Woodside Middle School?
Woodside Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 Woodside Middle School rank among elementary schools in Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Woodside Middle School ranks #2 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.
Is Woodside Middle School a good school?
Woodside Middle School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of 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 Saydel Comm School District?
Besides Woodside Middle School, Saydel Comm School District also operates Cornell Elementary School (555 students) and Saydel High School (458 students). See the Saydel 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.