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Hiatt Middle School

Q: Is Hiatt Middle School a good school?

Hiatt Middle School ranks in the bottom 0.9% of Iowa middle schools.

Q: How many students attend Hiatt Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 488 students attended Hiatt Middle School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Hiatt Middle School?

Students at Hiatt Middle School are 53% Hispanic, 20% African American, 13% White, 7% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

Q: What high school do graduates of Hiatt Middle School attend?

Students who attend Hiatt Middle School usually go on to attend East High School

Public Grades 6-8

341^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 1% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

Hiatt Middle School is a public middle school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 466 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 306 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Hiatt Middle School has consistently ranked near the bottom of Iowa middle schools, receiving a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger as well.

Hiatt Middle School faces significant challenges, including extremely high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 21.6% to 44.0% over the past few years, well above the state average and nearby schools. The school's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are consistently well below the state and district averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 43.1% to 46.3% in ELA and 30.6% to 38.1% in math, compared to state averages of 72.8% to 80.2% and 71.8% to 74.4%, respectively. Additionally, Hiatt Middle School has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 83.69% to 94.98% over the past few years, significantly higher than nearby schools in the same district.

When comparing Hiatt Middle School to other schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, it is clear that Hiatt is performing significantly worse in terms of test scores, chronic absenteeism, and other key metrics. For example, Merrill Middle School has significantly higher test scores and a lower percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients. Addressing the challenges faced by Hiatt Middle School will likely require a comprehensive approach that addresses the unique needs of the school's student population.

488

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,661

Per pupil spending ?

93.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1430 E. University Ave
Des Moines, IA 50316

(515) 242-7774

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend Hiatt Middle School usually attend:

High:

East High School

Feeder schools for Hiatt Middle School:

Elementary:	Capitol View Elementary School
	Carver Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

53.3%

African American:

20.5%

White:

13.3%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Hiatt Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — <1st percentile in 2015 → 1st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (40% vs 74% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (44% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg51%

Iowa avg74%

341^st of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 1%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

10^th of 10Middle Schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District

306^th of 313Des Moines Independent Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	0.5	341 of 344	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	0.2	335 of 337	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	0.6	331 of 334	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	0.9	336 of 337	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	0.7	322 of 324	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	0.7	341 of 342	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	0.3	318 of 318	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	0.3	326 of 327	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	0.2	343 of 343	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	0.2	348 of 349	0.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	0.0	337 of 337	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	2.0	348 of 350	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	5.4	342 of 349	2.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts45%-31 vs state

Science37%-33 vs state

Mathematics35%-38 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hiatt Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)				ISASP Mathematics (2025)				ISASP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hiatt Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 E. University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7774	488	35	14.1	93.4%	65 (13.3%)	100 (20.5%)	260 (53.3%)	35 (7.2%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (4.7%)	0.5	341^st of 344 public middle schools	0.9%		0.2	335^th of 337 public middle schools	0.6%	6		43.1	46.2	46.3		30.6	36.4	38.1		37.3	$16,661	$1,079	$15,582
Harding Middle School	Public	6-8	203 E Euclid Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8445	603	38	15.7	88.6%	96 (15.9%)	178 (29.5%)	207 (34.3%)	62 (10.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (9.3%)	0.6	340^th of 344 public middle schools	1.2%		0.7	334^th of 337 public middle schools	0.9%	6		39.6	37.5	48.2		40.3	43.8	42.5		35.2	$13,719	$830	$12,889
Goodrell Middle School	Public	6-8	3300 E. 29th Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8444	511	33	15.3	84.7%	170 (33.3%)	92 (18.0%)	166 (32.5%)	40 (7.8%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	38 (7.4%)	1.2	337^th of 344 public middle schools	2.0%		1.8	331^st of 337 public middle schools	1.8%	6		39.2	34.6	55.7		35.1	39.5	46.0		45.7	$15,696	$1,024	$14,672
Callanan Middle School	Public	6-8	3010 Center Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8101	553	35	15.7	79.9%	147 (26.6%)	213 (38.5%)	116 (21.0%)	19 (3.4%)	3 (0.5%)	8 (1.4%)	47 (8.5%)	2.3	333^rd of 344 public middle schools	3.2%		6.9	319^th of 337 public middle schools	5.3%	14		49.0	50.3	54.7		41.2	40.9	50.7		48.0	$15,075	$880	$14,196
Weeks Middle School	Public	6-8	901 East Park Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8449	688	48	14.1	87.4%	133 (19.3%)	121 (17.6%)	292 (42.4%)	97 (14.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.0%)	1.7	334^th of 344 public middle schools	2.9%		1.3	333^rd of 337 public middle schools	1.2%	1		47.7	55.8	49.2		36.4	43.6	40.8		42.4	$14,586	$1,091	$13,495
Hoyt Middle School	Public	6-8	2700 E 42nd St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8446	455	29	15.8	82.6%	175 (38.5%)	84 (18.5%)	146 (32.1%)	22 (4.8%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.1%)	1.5	336^th of 344 public middle schools	2.3%		1.3	332^nd of 337 public middle schools	1.5%	4		30.0	43.8	56.7		32.3	41.0	46.8		48.2	$14,771	$931	$13,840
Brody Middle School	Public	6-8	2501 Park Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8443	641	39	16.4	71.3%	287 (44.8%)	82 (12.8%)	193 (30.1%)	23 (3.6%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.6%)	49 (7.6%)	3.9	327^th of 344 public middle schools	4.9%		6.6	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%	7		49.8	53.3	61.4		46.3	45.1	52.0		51.0	$14,143	$628	$13,515
Woodside Middle School	Public	5-8	5810 NE 14th St	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Saydel Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 265-3451	396	28	14.3	56.6%	262 (66.2%)	6 (1.5%)	84 (21.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (10.6%)	35.4	265^th of 344 public middle schools	23.0%		19.5	296^th of 337 public middle schools	12.2%	31	66.3	77.0	72.6	75.0	57.8	69.3	63.7	61.7	44.6	68.8	$14,080	$452	$13,628
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	657	39	16.7	43.7%	386 (58.8%)	104 (15.8%)	87 (13.2%)	22 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (8.4%)	48	209^th of 344 public middle schools	39.2%		42.5	224^th of 337 public middle schools	33.5%	15		69.2	80.3	77.9		74.3	75.1	72.9		69.1	$12,938	$599	$12,340
Meredith Middle School	Public	6-8	4827 Madison Ave	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7250	662	40	16.4	79.8%	153 (23.1%)	200 (30.2%)	146 (22.1%)	104 (15.7%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	50 (7.6%)	7	322^nd of 344 public middle schools	6.4%		4.2	323^rd of 337 public middle schools	4.2%	1		52.9	61.7	63.0		41.9	57.4	54.5		49.8	$14,971	$1,099	$13,873

Frequently Asked Questions about Hiatt Middle School

What is the racial makeup of Hiatt Middle School?

Students at Hiatt Middle School are 53% Hispanic, 20% African American, 13% White, 7% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Hiatt Middle School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

How many students attend Hiatt Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 488 students attended Hiatt Middle School.

Is Hiatt Middle School a good school?

Hiatt Middle School ranks in the bottom 0.9% of Iowa middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Hiatt Middle School attend?

Students who attend Hiatt Middle School usually go on to attend East High School

Rate Hiatt Middle School!

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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.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries 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.