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Cattell Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

542^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 6% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Cattell Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 308 students in grades K-5. 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.

Cattell Elementary has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 42.0% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school's test scores on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) are also generally lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics around 40-60%, compared to the state averages of 67.9-76%. Additionally, Cattell Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 78.9% to 88.83% over the past few years.

When comparing Cattell Elementary to other nearby schools in the same district, such as Garton Elementary, Moulton Elementary School, and Carver Elementary, it becomes clear that Cattell is one of the lower-performing schools in the area, with most of the nearby schools having higher test scores, lower chronic absenteeism rates, and lower percentages of free and reduced-price lunch recipients. Despite the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio, Cattell Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools over the past several years, suggesting that the school has struggled to improve student outcomes over an extended period.

314

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,110

Per pupil spending ?

86.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3101 E 12th St
Des Moines, IA 50316

(515) 242-8403

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend Cattell Elementary School usually attend:

High:

North High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

32.2%

White:

28.0%

African American:

20.7%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Cattell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 9th percentile in 2015 → 6th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (46% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (39% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg50%

Iowa avg71%

542^nd of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

From bottom 9% (2015) to bottom 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

22^nd of 38Elementary 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	6.8	542 of 576	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	29.4	443 of 557	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.5	483 of 565	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	13.7	519 of 574	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.5	525 of 567	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	10.0	566 of 603	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	12.4	510 of 567	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	14.7	507 of 574	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.6	532 of 599	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	12.9	560 of 616	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	11.3	553 of 603	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	4.7	606 of 624	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	9.8	594 of 626	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics50%-24 vs state

English Language Arts49%-22 vs state

Science26%-38 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cattell Elementary 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 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cattell Elementary School	Public	K-5	3101 E 12th St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8403	314	27	11.6	86.3%	88 (28.0%)	65 (20.7%)	101 (32.2%)	28 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	28 (8.9%)	6.8	542^nd of 576 public elementary schools	5.9%		29.4	443^rd of 557 public elementary schools	20.5%	99	47.7	60.0	40.4		47.7	46.0	54.4		26.3	$16,110	$1,920	$14,190
Madison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	806 E Hoffman St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8420	285	24	12.0	88.8%	60 (21.1%)	18 (6.3%)	154 (54.0%)	30 (10.5%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.4%)	15.2	508^th of 576 public elementary schools	11.8%		4.9	538^th of 557 public elementary schools	3.4%	30	30.8	70.6	60.0		38.5	55.9	62.5		30.0	$18,238	$1,698	$16,540
Findley Elementary School	Public	K-6	3025 Oxford Street	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8407	324	25	12.7	85.2%	92 (28.4%)	62 (19.1%)	93 (28.7%)	43 (13.3%)	2 (0.6%)	3 (0.9%)	29 (9.0%)	4.6	553^rd of 576 public elementary schools	4.0%		10.2	513^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.9%	40	35.7	44.4	40.4	66.7	33.3	33.3	36.2	54.5	36.2	$16,683	$1,316	$15,366
Oak Park	Public	K-5	3928 6th Avenue	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8428	288	27	10.6	78.5%	79 (27.4%)	71 (24.7%)	92 (31.9%)	19 (6.6%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	21 (7.3%)	5.2	547^th of 576 public elementary schools	5.0%		2.7	546^th of 557 public elementary schools	2.0%	1	39.0	51.5	42.6		61.0	45.5	46.8		21.3	$16,793	$1,701	$15,092
Garton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2820 E 24th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8408	535	36	14.8	89.3%	101 (18.9%)	94 (17.6%)	243 (45.4%)	58 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (7.1%)	5	552^nd of 576 public elementary schools	4.2%		12.4	499^th of 557 public elementary schools	10.4%	53	37.8	49.2	33.8		63.5	47.6	41.3		28.8	$16,721	$1,650	$15,072
Moulton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1541 8th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8427	465	33	14.2	94.2%	28 (6.0%)	240 (51.6%)	140 (30.1%)	27 (5.8%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.6%)	9	534^th of 576 public elementary schools	7.3%		7.2	526^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.6%	8	36.5	44.3	54.0		40.5	34.4	66.7		38.1	$16,426	$1,675	$14,751
Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	705 E University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8418	436	31	14.1	92.4%	31 (7.1%)	96 (22.0%)	260 (59.6%)	19 (4.4%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.0%)	3.2	565^th of 576 public elementary schools	1.9%		3.7	544^th of 557 public elementary schools	2.3%	21	33.9	47.4	36.5		44.6	47.4	47.6		36.5	$17,672	$1,648	$16,024
Phillips Elementary	Public	K-5	1701 Lay St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8431	263	24	10.9	79.1%	129 (49.0%)	24 (9.1%)	89 (33.8%)	5 (1.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.3%)	9.6	530^th of 576 public elementary schools	8.0%		11.5	504^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.5%	26	40.0	56.3	43.2		66.0	59.4	40.5		32.4	$16,246	$669	$15,577
Capitol View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	320 E. 16th	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8402	533	40	13.3	92.3%	91 (17.1%)	101 (18.9%)	296 (55.5%)	14 (2.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.6%)	3.9	559^th of 576 public elementary schools	3.0%		5.3	532^nd of 557 public elementary schools	4.5%	27	41.3	48.6	41.7		57.3	29.2	41.7		31.9	$18,793	$3,389	$15,405
King Elementary School	Public	K-5	1849 Forest Ave	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8417	315	24	13.1	96.2%	19 (6.0%)	126 (40.0%)	128 (40.6%)	25 (7.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	1.5	573^rd of 576 public elementary schools	0.5%		1	555^th of 557 public elementary schools	0.4%	18	34.1	29.7	43.9		46.3	27.0	17.1		26.8	$18,403	$2,345	$16,058

Frequently Asked Questions about Cattell Elementary School

What district is Cattell Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

How many students attend Cattell Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 314 students attended Cattell Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Cattell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Cattell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : North High School

What is the racial makeup of Cattell Elementary School?

Students at Cattell Elementary School are 32% Hispanic, 28% White, 21% African American, 9% Asian, 9% Two or more races.

Is Cattell Elementary School a good school?

Cattell Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.9% of Iowa elementary schools.

Rate Cattell Elementary 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.