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Western Hills Elementary School

Q: Is Western Hills Elementary School a good school?

Western Hills Elementary School ranks 425 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

425^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Western Hills Elementary School is a public elementary school in West Des Moines, Iowa, serving 560 students in grades PK-6 as part of the West Des Moines Community School District. The school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking over the past several years, dropping from 231 out of 616 Iowa elementary schools in 2014-2015 to 425 out of 576 in 2024-2025. Its SchoolDigger rating has also fluctuated, ranging from 3 stars to its current 1-star rating.

One significant concern is the school's chronic absenteeism rate, which has risen from 9.0% in 2021-2022 to 23.4% in 2022-2023 and 21.6% in 2023-2024. In terms of academic performance, Western Hills Elementary School's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are generally below the district and state averages, with some exceptions in certain grade levels and subject areas. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 26.43% to 32.64% over the past few years.

When compared to other nearby schools in the West Des Moines Community School District, such as Crestview School of Inquiry and Jordan Creek Elementary School, Western Hills Elementary School generally performs below the district averages in test scores and other key metrics. However, the school's performance in certain grade levels and subject areas suggests that there may be opportunities to learn from its successes and implement strategies to improve overall academic achievement.

570

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,254

Per pupil spending ?

45.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

600 39th St
West Des Moines, IA 50265

(515) 633-5900

District: West Des Moines Community School District

Students who attend Western Hills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Stilwell Junior High School
High:	Valley High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.9%

Hispanic:

28.1%

African American:

10.7%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Western Hills Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2015 → 26th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (66% vs 72% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 36 percentile points since 2015

!Near the bottom of West Des Moines Community School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school66%

District avg73%

Iowa avg72%

425^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 36 pts since 2015

From top 38% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

7^th of 8Elementary Schools in the West Des Moines Community School District

216^th of 313West Des Moines 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	36.1	425 of 576	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	50.0	328 of 557	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.2	351 of 565	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.4	399 of 574	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.4	417 of 567	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.4	413 of 603	31.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	60.8	255 of 567	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	53.3	331 of 574	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	63.6	248 of 599	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	65.9	231 of 616	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	62.9	252 of 603	58.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	71.6	136 of 624	78.2%	★★★★☆
2012	63.0	240 of 626	61.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics67%-6 vs state

English Language Arts65%-7 vs state

Science64%~ state avg

4.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Sunday, November 23, 2014

We have felt Western Hills has been especially good for dealing w/ the issues our grandson brings with him. He is comfortable w/ his peers, has progressed very well in dealing w/ many of his issues, and is at a good place for him.
We have sat in on classes - in both expected and unexpected situations and have witnessed learning first hand.
We also have a granddaughter in the school and feel she excels without a lot of help. She almost needs more challenge.
The socialization provided by Kids West has been very helpful for both children. Close Quote

Schools Near Western Hills Elementary School

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Ranking:

E = Elementary, M = Middle, H = High, A = Alternative, P = Private

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
Western Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	600 39th St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-5900	570	38	14.8	45.8%	279 (48.9%)	61 (10.7%)	160 (28.1%)	28 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.4%)	36.1	425^th of 576 public elementary schools	26.2%		50	328^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.1%	97	49.3	64.6	72.7	72.7	62.7	64.6	71.4	70.1	63.6	$14,254	$192	$14,062
Crossroads Park Elementary School	Public	K-6	1050 50th St	West Des Moines	50266	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-5600	530	36	14.6	51.5%	285 (53.8%)	69 (13.0%)	112 (21.1%)	19 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (8.5%)	68.9	182^nd of 576 public elementary schools	68.4%		76.8	94^th of 557 public elementary schools	83.1%	88	66.2	79.4	86.8	87.5	77.0	77.9	80.9	83.8	73.5	$13,999	$194	$13,805
Fairmeadows Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	807 23rd St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6500	542	34	15.8	43.5%	339 (62.5%)	50 (9.2%)	82 (15.1%)	27 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.9%)	52.4	311^th of 576 public elementary schools	46.0%		63.9	212^th of 557 public elementary schools	61.9%	99	75.7	77.8	72.1	80.0	73.0	72.8	62.3	81.3	49.2	$13,706	$194	$13,513
Jordan Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4105 Fuller Rd	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-5200	652	39	16.9	33.4%	427 (65.5%)	37 (5.7%)	84 (12.9%)	47 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (8.7%)	76.2	115^th of 576 public elementary schools	80.0%		79.5	75^th of 557 public elementary schools	86.5%	40	73.2	82.3	80.5	85.3	79.4	83.5	84.4	91.7	83.1	$13,612	$247	$13,365
Westridge Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	5500 E P True Parkway	West Des Moines	50266	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-5400	744	46	16.1	39.5%	467 (62.8%)	73 (9.8%)	97 (13.0%)	35 (4.7%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	70 (9.4%)	72.5	143^rd of 576 public elementary schools	75.2%		77	89^th of 557 public elementary schools	84.0%	54	75.2	84.7	78.0	83.2	77.1	85.9	81.3	82.2	79.1	$13,179	$193	$12,987
Hillside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	713 8th St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 633-6200	548	47	11.6	71.7%	247 (45.1%)	98 (17.9%)	141 (25.7%)	12 (2.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (8.4%)	40.7	397^th of 576 public elementary schools	31.1%		22.8	463^rd of 557 public elementary schools	16.9%	66	67.8	81.1	64.7	60.3	71.2	81.1	69.1	64.7	47.1	$14,221	$423	$13,798
Crestview School of Inquiry	Public	PK, KG-6	8355 Franklin Avenue	Clive	50325	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 633-5700	558	48	11.6	84.1%	96 (17.2%)	54 (9.7%)	324 (58.1%)	65 (11.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.4%)	11.3	524^th of 576 public elementary schools	9.0%		17.7	481^st of 557 public elementary schools	13.6%	43	50.7	43.1	54.5	58.6	50.7	39.2	54.5	60.3	50.9	$14,822	$670	$14,152
Clive Learning Academy	Public	PK, KG-6	1600 73rd Street	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 633-5800	551	43	12.6	59.7%	250 (45.4%)	100 (18.1%)	99 (18.0%)	41 (7.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (10.7%)	49	334^th of 576 public elementary schools	42.0%		50.2	327^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.3%	7	62.0	74.6	75.4	79.1	64.8	71.2	72.5	73.5	66.7	$14,178	$481	$13,696
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
Valerius Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3305 92nd St	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 457-6500	598	47	12.7	43.3%	363 (60.7%)	62 (10.4%)	73 (12.2%)	68 (11.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.0%)	77.2	103^rd of 576 public elementary schools	82.1%		61.8	228^th of 557 public elementary schools	59.1%	125	81.7	81.9	87.8		84.9	79.2	82.9		78.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Western Hills Elementary School

What district is Western Hills Elementary School in?

West Des Moines Community School District

How many students attend Western Hills Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 570 students attended Western Hills Elementary School.

Is Western Hills Elementary School a good school?

Western Hills Elementary School ranks 425^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Western Hills Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Western Hills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Stilwell Junior High School
High : Valley High School

What is the racial makeup of Western Hills Elementary School?

Students at Western Hills Elementary School are 49% White, 28% Hispanic, 11% African American, 7% Two or more races, 5% Asian.

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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.