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Van Meter Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

11^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 98% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Van Meter Elementary School is a highly-ranked public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the Van Meter Community School District in Van Meter, Iowa. With 571 students, the school consistently performs at the top of the state, ranking in the top 30 elementary schools in Iowa over the past several years.

Van Meter Elementary's academic performance is exceptional, with students significantly outperforming state averages on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in 2024-2025, 93.2% of 3rd graders, 94.5% of 4th graders, and 89.5% of 5th graders scored proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 67.9%, 76%, and 69.8% respectively. The school also maintains relatively low chronic absenteeism rates and has a student population with a low percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

While Van Meter Elementary stands out as an exceptional school, the nearby Waukee Community School District and Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District also boast several top-performing elementary schools, suggesting the Van Meter area is home to a cluster of high-quality public education options. The factors contributing to Van Meter Elementary's success, such as its low absenteeism rates and high student-teacher ratio, may play a role in the overall academic excellence of the region's schools, making it an attractive choice for families seeking a top-tier public education.

578

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,667

Per pupil spending ?

8.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

520 1st Ave
Van Meter, IA 50261

(515) 996-2221

District: Van Meter Community School District

Students who attend Van Meter Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Van Meter Middle School
High:	Van Meter High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.1%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Hispanic:

2.4%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Van Meter Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 84th percentile in 2015 → 98th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (92% vs 71% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 2% of Iowa elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 14 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school92%

District avg92%

Iowa avg71%

11^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 2%▲ up 14 pts since 2015

From top 16% (2015) to top 2% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 313Van Meter 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	91.3	11 of 576	98.1%	★★★★★
2024	86.9	28 of 557	95.0%	★★★★★
2023	90.2	11 of 565	98.1%	★★★★★
2022	90.6	16 of 574	97.2%	★★★★★
2021	91.0	15 of 567	97.4%	★★★★★
2019	90.0	19 of 603	96.8%	★★★★★
2018	79.0	77 of 567	86.4%	★★★★☆
2017	81.2	55 of 574	90.4%	★★★★★
2016	71.3	157 of 599	73.8%	★★★★☆
2015	77.0	98 of 616	84.1%	★★★★☆
2014	67.4	201 of 603	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	76.3	78 of 624	87.5%	★★★★☆
2012	54.1	344 of 626	45.0%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics93%+19 vs state

English Language Arts92%+21 vs state

Science87%+23 vs state

★

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Schools Near Van Meter 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
Van Meter Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	520 1st Ave	Van Meter	50261	Dallas County	Van Meter Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 996-2221	578	35	16.4	8.1%	538 (93.1%)	2 (0.3%)	14 (2.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.6%)	91.3	11^th of 576 public elementary schools	98.1%		86.9	28^th of 557 public elementary schools	95.0%	17	93.2	94.5	89.5	98.9	89.0	89.7	87.4	$11,667	$403	$11,263
Sugar Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	965 Ashworth RD	Waukee	59263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 987-5160	630	37	16.9	18.6%	424 (67.3%)	52 (8.3%)	45 (7.1%)	72 (11.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (5.7%)	74	128^th of 576 public elementary schools	77.8%		73.8	120^th of 557 public elementary schools	78.5%	8	82.0	86.0	72.5	87.0	86.0	86.3	66.7
Woodland Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	1120 South 95th Street	West Des Moines	50266	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 987-5196	578	38	15.1	21.6%	355 (61.4%)	44 (7.6%)	38 (6.6%)	92 (15.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (8.3%)	82	56^th of 576 public elementary schools	90.3%		81.5	60^th of 557 public elementary schools	89.2%	4	77.3	87.5	85.8	88.6	88.8	85.8	78.3	$12,334	$488	$11,846
Waukee Elementary School	Public	K-5	850 6th St	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5193	706	46	15.4	20.5%	471 (66.7%)	57 (8.1%)	67 (9.5%)	43 (6.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (9.3%)	81.5	59^th of 576 public elementary schools	89.8%		76.5	98^th of 557 public elementary schools	82.4%	39	85.0	86.3	81.1	89.0	86.3	82.8	80.3	$10,849	$259	$10,590
Meadow View Elementary	Public	2-4	1300 S. 15th Street	Adel	50003	Dallas County	Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 993-4283	520	40	13.0	19.6%	467 (89.8%)	6 (1.2%)	29 (5.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.3%)	78.2	93^rd of 576 public elementary schools	83.9%		76.4	99^th of 557 public elementary schools	82.2%	6	79.9	87.0		85.4	85.3
Maple Grove Elementary School	Public	K-5	1455 98th St	West Des Moines	50266	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-3363	577	44	13.0	33.8%	288 (49.9%)	107 (18.5%)	62 (10.7%)	46 (8.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	71 (12.3%)	66	208^th of 576 public elementary schools	63.9%		63.3	219^th of 557 public elementary schools	60.7%	11	76.4	80.2	73.1	80.9	80.2	76.9	71.8	$11,397	$370	$11,027
Adel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	1608 Grove St.	Adel	50003	Dallas County	Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 993-4285	403	31	12.9	16.1%	364 (90.3%)	6 (1.5%)	20 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.0%)								(n/a)								$11,491	$454	$11,038
Brookview Elementary School	Public	K-5	8000 E.P. True Parkway	West Des Moines	50266	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5166	592	41	14.3	22.0%	369 (62.3%)	43 (7.3%)	53 (9.0%)	77 (13.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.3%)	79.4	79^th of 576 public elementary schools	86.3%		79.9	74^th of 557 public elementary schools	86.7%	5	79.3	85.9	85.0	84.8	84.7	87.0	76.0	$11,444	$186	$11,258
Grant Ragan Elementary School	Public	K-5	645 NE Dartmoor Drive	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 987-0435	666	47	14.1	28.2%	419 (62.9%)	64 (9.6%)	85 (12.8%)	50 (7.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	45 (6.8%)	65.4	220^th of 576 public elementary schools	61.8%		77.8	84^th of 557 public elementary schools	84.9%	136	80.2	78.2	75.0	82.0	73.6	78.7	69.4	$10,993	$199	$10,794
Eason Elementary School	Public	K-5	605 SE Boone Dr	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 987-5200	590	40	14.7	28.1%	381 (64.6%)	92 (15.6%)	48 (8.1%)	26 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.3%)	69.6	177^th of 576 public elementary schools	69.3%		77.1	87^th of 557 public elementary schools	84.4%	90	78.3	86.0	75.0	80.2	81.0	76.0	74.0	$10,989	$276	$10,712

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Meter Elementary School

How many students attend Van Meter Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 578 students attended Van Meter Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Van Meter Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Van Meter Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Van Meter Middle School
High : Van Meter High School

Is Van Meter Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Van Meter Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 11^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools.

What district is Van Meter Elementary School in?

Van Meter Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Van Meter Elementary School?

Students at Van Meter Elementary School are 93% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

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Schools in Van Meter, IA

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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.