Downtown School

Public K-5

 1800 Grand Avenue
       Des Moines, IA  50309


(515) 284-5848

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
261st of 565 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,247 Help


Students who attend Downtown School usually attend:

Middle:    Callanan Middle School
High:    Roosevelt High School

Student/teacher ratio:  12.3 Help
Number of students:  243

Racial breakdown:

White:
67.1%
Two or more races:
11.5%
Hispanic:
10.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  25.1% Help


 See top rated Iowa elementary schools

 Compare Downtown School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
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Compare Details Downtown School ranks better than 53.8% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 2nd among 38 ranked elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.53. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (67.1%), two or more races (11.5%), Hispanic (10.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 25.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Downtown School is 12.3. 22 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
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Compare Downtown School employs 19.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Downtown School is $14,247. 36 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Downtown School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Des Moines Independent Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Des Moines Independent Community School District 307th of 311 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Downtown School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 66.93 190th 626 69.6%
2013 62.88 245th 624 60.7%
2014 75.94 97th 603 83.9%
2015 78.56 78th 616 87.3%
2016 81.80 51st 599 91.5%
2017 79.17 80th 574 86.1%
2018 77.59 90th 567 84.1%
2019 65.37 213th 603 64.7%
2021 77.20 110th 567 80.6%
2022 69.47 180th 574 68.6%
2023 57.53 261st 565 53.8%
See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Downtown School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Downtown School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1994 31 10 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 43
1995 73 17 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 96
1996 73 17 3 3 0 n/a n/a 0 96
1997 11 2 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 14
1998 107 20 3 6 0 n/a n/a 0 136
1999 116 24 7 6 0 n/a n/a 0 153
2000 134 20 6 5 0 n/a n/a -12 153
2001 124 19 11 6 0 n/a n/a 0 160
2002 221 29 9 7 0 n/a n/a 0 266
2003 221 29 9 7 0 n/a n/a 0 266
2004 219 31 13 7 1 n/a n/a 0 271
2005 195 40 25 7 1 n/a n/a 0 268
2006 191 45 22 5 1 n/a n/a 0 264
2007 208 38 22 4 0 n/a n/a 0 272
2008 199 37 19 13 0 n/a n/a 0 268
2009 192 30 19 17 0 n/a n/a 0 258
2010 210 25 15 27 1 1 14 0 293
2011 216 17 13 28 1 0 10 0 285
2012 212 13 13 26 0 0 14 0 278
2013 208 9 11 28 0 0 18 0 274
2014 201 9 12 25 0 0 16 0 263
2015 206 11 11 19 0 0 20 0 267
2016 209 7 9 25 0 0 18 0 268
2017 203 8 8 29 0 0 20 0 268
2018 210 5 8 27 0 0 21 0 271
2019 198 8 8 29 0 0 22 0 265
2020 186 14 7 29 0 0 29 0 265
2021 168 16 5 29 0 0 23 0 241
2022 169 19 4 23 0 0 25 0 240
2023 163 23 4 25 0 0 28 0 243

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Downtown School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 43 3.0 14.3 16.3
1995 96 6.5 14.8 11.5
1996 96 6.5 14.8 11.5
1997 14 6.5 2.2 57.1
1998 136 6.5 20.9 7.4
1999 153 11.3 13.5 12.4
2000 153 14.1 10.9 11.5
2001 160 12.8 12.5 8.8
2002 266 18.9 14.1 8.3
2003 266 18.9 14.1 8.3
2004 271 18.3 14.8 11.1
2005 268 17.8 15.1 12.7
2006 264 18.1 14.6 15.9
2007 272 17.8 15.3 16.5
2008 268 18.3 14.6 19.4
2009 258 18.5 13.9 13.6
2010 293 21.1 13.8 18.8
2011 285 17.5 16.2 15.8
2012 278 19.4 14.3 15.8
2013 274 19.5 14.0 16.1
2014 263 20.0 13.1 11
2015 267 18.0 14.8 15
2016 268 18.0 14.8 24.3
2017 268 18.0 14.8 19.4
2018 271 19.1 14.1 20.7
2019 265 19.2 13.8 26.8
2020 265 20.1 13.1 23
2021 241 19.1 12.6 22.8
2022 240 18.3 13.1 24.2
2023 243 19.7 12.3 25.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Downtown School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1994 43 3.0 14.3 16.3
1995 96 6.5 14.8 11.5
1996 96 6.5 14.8 11.5
1997 14 6.5 2.2 57.1
1998 136 6.5 20.9 7.4
1999 153 11.3 13.5 12.4
2000 153 14.1 10.9 11.5
2001 160 12.8 12.5 8.8
2002 266 18.9 14.1 8.3
2003 266 18.9 14.1 8.3
2004 271 18.3 14.8 11.1
2005 268 17.8 15.1 12.7
2006 264 18.1 14.6 15.9
2007 272 17.8 15.3 16.5
2008 268 18.3 14.6 19.4
2009 258 18.5 13.9 13.6
2010 293 21.1 13.8 18.8
2011 285 17.5 16.2 15.8
2012 278 19.4 14.3 15.8
2013 274 19.5 14.0 16.1
2014 263 20.0 13.1 11
2015 267 18.0 14.8 15
2016 268 18.0 14.8 24.3
2017 268 18.0 14.8 19.4
2018 271 19.1 14.1 20.7
2019 265 19.2 13.8 26.8
2020 265 20.1 13.1 23
2021 241 19.1 12.6 22.8
2022 240 18.3 13.1 24.2
2023 243 19.7 12.3 25.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Downtown School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $621 (4.4%) $13,626 (95.6%) $14,247

Data source: Iowa Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Downtown School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 213th of 603 Elementary schoolsRanks 261st of 565 Elementary schools
 10.9%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Downtown School)76.282.2
 6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)4443.3
 0.7%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)65.366.3
 1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Downtown School)73.873.3
 0.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)5252.1
 0.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)71.775.3
 3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Downtown School)80.975.7
 5.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)49.752.4
 2.7%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)70.573.1
 2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Downtown School)78.781.1
 2.4%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)50.947.6
 3.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)72.572.9
 0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Downtown School)77.567.6
 9.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)46.549.5
 3%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)67.368.3
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Downtown School)6555.9
 9.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)48.451.6
 3.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)69.471.3
 1.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students265243
 8.3%
African American823
 187.5%
American Indian00
Asian84
 50%
Hispanic2925
 13.8%
Pacific Islander00
White198163
 17.7%
Two or More Races2228
 27.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients26.8%25.1%
 1.7%


Schools Near Downtown School









Frequently Asked Questions about Downtown School

Students who attend Downtown School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Callanan Middle School
High : Roosevelt High School

Downtown School ranks 261st of 565 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

In the 2022-23 school year, 243 students attended Downtown School.

Students at Downtown School are 67% White, 12% Two or more races, 10% Hispanic, 9% African American, 2% Asian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education. School Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that school and district boundary data are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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