East High School

East High School is a public high school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 2,014 students in grades 9-12. 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. Over the past decade, East High School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Iowa high schools, with a statewide rank between 309 and 328 out of 320-340 schools.

East High School's performance is concerning, with low graduation rates ranging from 66.2% to 88.3% in recent years, significantly lower than the state average of around 90%. The school also has a very high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 21.6% to 59.7%, much higher than the state average. Proficiency rates on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) are consistently well below the state and district averages across all subject areas and grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, only 48.6% of 10th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 74.7% statewide.

When comparing East High School to other high schools in the Des Moines area, it is clear that the school is significantly underperforming. For instance, Roosevelt High School, also in the Des Moines district, has much higher test scores, graduation rates, and lower chronic absenteeism than East High. The high rates of poverty and economic disadvantage at East High, as evidenced by the free and reduced lunch data, may be contributing to the school's poor academic outcomes. Despite the district's low ranking, East High School's per-student spending of $14,908 in 2018-2019 is relatively high compared to the state average, suggesting that the issue may not be solely a lack of funding, but rather how the resources are being utilized and allocated to support student success.