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Van Meter Community School District

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

3^rdof 313 Iowa districts▲ 1

Better than 99% of Iowa districts

Elementary 1 Middle 1 High 1Grades PK, KG-12

520 1st Ave
Van Meter, IA 50261·(515) 996-9960·All Iowa district rankings →

Statewide performance 2017–2025

2025: better than 99% of districts

Schools

1,146

Students

5-star schools

Top rankedVan Meter Elementary School11^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools

▲

Biggest riser

Van Meter Elementary School up 17 spots statewide this year

Compare Iowa districts →See the top-ranked Iowa schools →

Summary:

The Van Meter Community School District is home to three exceptional schools: Van Meter Elementary School, Van Meter High School, and Van Meter Middle School. These schools consistently rank among the top-performing institutions in the state of Iowa, delivering high-quality education to their students.

All three schools in the district are rated 5 out of 5 stars by SchoolDigger, indicating they are among the best in the state. Van Meter Elementary School is ranked 11th, Van Meter High School is ranked 3rd, and Van Meter Middle School is ranked 6th in their respective categories for the 2024-2025 school year. The schools excel in standardized test scores, with students consistently outperforming the state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Van Meter High School also boasts an impressive 88.3% four-year graduation rate, which is higher than the state average.

Despite the high academic performance, the district maintains a focus on equity, with relatively low percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 7.05% at Van Meter Middle School to 9.28% at Van Meter Elementary School. However, the district may want to address the high chronic absenteeism rates across all three schools, which could be an area for improvement. Overall, the Van Meter Community School District is an exceptional educational system, providing its students with access to top-tier schools and resources to ensure their success.

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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 (2025)	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 English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th 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
Van Meter High School	Public	9-12	520 1st Ave	Van Meter	50261	Dallas County	Van Meter Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 996-2221	316	21	14.7	9.2%	287 (90.8%)	4 (1.3%)	14 (4.4%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.5%)	91.2	3^rd of 340 public high schools	99.1%		91.9	5^th of 338 public high schools	98.5%	2							95.2	93.8	95.6							90.4	82.7	92.6			87.7	$14,547	$514	$14,033
Van Meter Middle School	Public	6-8	520 1st Ave	Van Meter	50261	Dallas County	Van Meter Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 996-2221	252	8	33.1	6.7%	237 (94.0%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	90.1	6^th of 344 public middle schools	98.3%		90.1	6^th of 337 public middle schools	98.2%					91.0	95.3	94.7							88.8	91.9	94.7					89.5		$7,390	$259	$7,131

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District	2.96 mi	5	11^th
Waukee Community School District	4.56 mi	20	65^th
Earlham Community School District	9.13 mi	3	44^th
West Des Moines Community School District	9.33 mi	13	216^th
Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	10.26 mi	7	35^th

See the top IA Iowa districts

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.