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Phillips Elementary

Public Grades K-5

530^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 8% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Phillips Elementary is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 254 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school faces several key challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates, lower-than-average test scores, and a high proportion of students from low-income families.

Phillips Elementary has consistently had chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 21.6% to 42.0%, significantly higher than the state and district averages. The school's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are also generally lower than the district and state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 40% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 46% in the district and 67.9% statewide. Additionally, Phillips Elementary has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 68.9% to 81.01% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the district and state averages.

When compared to nearby schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, Phillips Elementary generally performs worse on key metrics such as test scores and chronic absenteeism rates. For instance, Cattell Elementary and Willard Elementary have significantly higher proficiency rates in ELA and Mathematics. The high rates of free and reduced-price lunch recipients and chronic absenteeism at Phillips Elementary may be contributing factors to the school's lower academic performance.

263

Students ?

10.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,246

Per pupil spending ?

79.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1701 Lay St
Des Moines, IA 50317

(515) 242-8431

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend Phillips Elementary usually attend:

High:

East High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

49.0%

Hispanic:

33.8%

African American:

9.1%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Phillips Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 36th percentile in 2015 → 8th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (48% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school48%

District avg50%

Iowa avg71%

530^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 28 pts since 2015

From bottom 36% (2015) to bottom 8% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

18^th 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	9.6	530 of 576	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.5	504 of 557	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.7	471 of 565	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.6	462 of 574	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.7	467 of 567	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.9	567 of 603	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	31.6	439 of 567	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	41.7	405 of 574	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	56.0	321 of 599	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	49.7	392 of 616	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2014	42.2	436 of 603	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	51.1	368 of 624	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	50.8	381 of 626	39.1%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics56%-18 vs state

English Language Arts45%-26 vs state

Science32%-32 vs state

★

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Schools Near Phillips Elementary

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
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
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
Stowe Elementary School	Public	K-5	1411 E 33rd St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8435	297	25	12.0	84.2%	96 (32.3%)	49 (16.5%)	124 (41.8%)	9 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (5.7%)	4	558^th of 576 public elementary schools	3.1%		2	548^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.6%	10	46.9	36.4	50.0		44.9	24.2	35.3		32.4	$17,791	$1,908	$15,883
Willard Elementary School	Public	K-5	2941 Dean Avenue	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8439	247	24	10.3	88.7%	81 (32.8%)	25 (10.1%)	116 (47.0%)	13 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.9%)	20.1	490^th of 576 public elementary schools	14.9%		10.9	507^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.0%	17	50.0	64.7	51.2		67.5	61.8	65.1		41.9	$16,503	$1,680	$14,822
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
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
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
Brubaker Elementary School	Public	K-5	2900 E 42nd Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8405	622	52	12.0	83.3%	228 (36.7%)	127 (20.4%)	185 (29.7%)	26 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	51 (8.2%)	3.9	560^th of 576 public elementary schools	2.8%		2.6	547^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.8%	13	47.6	48.0	41.9		42.9	48.0	38.1		33.7	$16,004	$1,458	$14,547
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Phillips Elementary

What schools do graduates of Phillips Elementary attend?

Students who attend Phillips Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : East High School

What is the racial makeup of Phillips Elementary?

Students at Phillips Elementary are 49% White, 34% Hispanic, 9% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Phillips Elementary a good school?

Phillips Elementary ranks in the bottom 8.0% of Iowa elementary schools.

How many students attend Phillips Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 263 students attended Phillips Elementary.

What district is Phillips Elementary in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

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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.