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Stowe Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

558^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 3% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Stowe Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 311 students in grades K-5. Despite being part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 306 out of 313 school districts in Iowa, Stowe Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Iowa elementary schools over the past 10 years.

Key challenges facing Stowe Elementary include extremely high chronic absenteeism rates, significantly lower test scores compared to state and district averages, and a very high percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 77.81% to 87.54% in recent years. Despite spending $17,791 per student, which is higher than the spending at most nearby schools, Stowe Elementary continues to underperform compared to other elementary schools in the district, such as Cattell Elementary, Carver Elementary, Garton Elementary, and Pleasant Hill Elementary.

The high percentage of students from low-income families at Stowe Elementary suggests a correlation between socioeconomic status and academic performance, which aligns with research showing that students from low-income families often face additional challenges that can impact their educational outcomes. Addressing the root causes of chronic absenteeism, such as transportation, health, and family issues, could be a crucial step in improving student outcomes at Stowe Elementary.

297

Students ?

12.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,791

Per pupil spending ?

84.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1411 E 33rd St
Des Moines, IA 50317

(515) 242-8435

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend Stowe Elementary School usually attend:

High:

East High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

41.8%

White:

32.3%

African American:

16.5%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Stowe Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 4th percentile in 2015 → 3rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (39% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (32% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school39%

District avg50%

Iowa avg71%

558^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

29^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	4.0	558 of 576	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	2.0	548 of 557	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	2.2	558 of 565	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	1.4	569 of 574	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	1.5	564 of 567	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.0	587 of 603	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.6	544 of 567	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	3.8	548 of 574	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	6.1	575 of 599	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	4.5	591 of 616	4.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	1.5	596 of 603	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	4.6	607 of 624	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	1.7	622 of 626	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts45%-26 vs state

Mathematics36%-38 vs state

Science32%-32 vs state

★

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Schools Near Stowe 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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
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
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
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
Pleasant Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4801 E Oakwood Dr	Des Moines	50327	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8432	241	20	11.8	68.9%	137 (56.8%)	25 (10.4%)	61 (25.3%)	6 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.0%)	24.5	477^th of 576 public elementary schools	17.2%		39.5	389^th of 557 public elementary schools	30.2%	88	58.3	67.7	60.0	66.7	64.5	56.0	44.0	$15,655	$628	$15,027
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
Delaware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 E 46th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 262-3197	440	36	12.1	45.9%	267 (60.7%)	63 (14.3%)	57 (13.0%)	25 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (5.9%)	65.6	215^th of 576 public elementary schools	62.7%		72.2	138^th of 557 public elementary schools	75.2%	77	83.6	87.1	72.9	86.6	83.9	64.3	64.3	$15,865	$1,352	$14,513
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Stowe Elementary School

Is Stowe Elementary School a good school?

Stowe Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3.1% of Iowa elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Stowe Elementary School attend?

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

High : East High School

What is the racial makeup of Stowe Elementary School?

Students at Stowe Elementary School are 42% Hispanic, 32% White, 16% African American, 6% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Stowe Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 297 students attended Stowe Elementary School.

What district is Stowe Elementary School 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.