Best Elementary Schools in Iowa

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Find the best Iowa elementary schools with SchoolDigger.com! Focused on test scores for accurate rankings, our user-friendly site simplifies your search. Empower your decisions by exploring top-rated schools, only on SchoolDigger.com - the ultimate guide to K-12 schools!

Year after year, SchoolDigger is always the first to publish Iowa test scores and rankings. Other sites use stale test score data that are several years old! Be in the know with the very latest performance metrics.

The list is updated annually upon the release of the ISASP test scores by the Iowa Department of Education. The most recent update was on Wednesday, August 20, 2025.

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School	Students/Teachers	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)	Ranking (2025 vs 2024)	ID
551	Storm Lake Elementary	Public	2-5	1810 Hyland Drive	Storm Lake	50588	Buena Vista County	Storm Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 732-8074	822	50	16.3	75.4%	86 (10.5%)	39 (4.7%)	456 (55.5%)	112 (13.6%)	1 (0.1%)	110 (13.4%)	18 (2.2%)	$12,446	$1,029	$11,417	5	1.9	549	2	192739002107
552	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%)	$16,721	$1,650	$15,072	5	12.4	499	53	190897000534
553	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%)	$16,683	$1,316	$15,366	4.6	10.2	513	40	190897000531
554	Johnson STEAM Academy School	Public	K-5	355 18th ST SE	Cedar Rapids	52403	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 558-3400	324	28	11.7	70.4%	106 (32.7%)	136 (42.0%)	32 (9.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (15.1%)	$15,127	$1,752	$13,376	4.4	4.1	541	13	190654000251
555	James Elementary School	Public	K-5	1001 N Benton	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-5411	249	19	13	68.3%	85 (34.1%)	40 (16.1%)	57 (22.9%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	55 (22.1%)	8 (3.2%)	$13,974	$1,218	$12,755	4.3	7	527	28	192211001320
556	Wright Elementary School	Public	K-5	5001 SW 14th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8442	265	22	12.2	77.7%	105 (39.6%)	34 (12.8%)	89 (33.6%)	11 (4.2%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.1%)	22 (8.3%)	$15,928	$1,243	$14,685	4.2	21.3	466	90	190897000589
557	Hillis Elementary School	Public	K-5	2401 56th St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8412	279	24	11.4	76.3%	100 (35.8%)	60 (21.5%)	71 (25.4%)	28 (10.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.8%)	$16,776	$1,702	$15,074	4.2	17.8	479	78	190897000541
558	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	84.2%	96 (32.3%)	49 (16.5%)	124 (41.8%)	9 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (5.7%)	$17,791	$1,908	$15,883	4	2	548	10	190897000577
559	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%)	$18,793	$3,389	$15,405	3.9	5.3	532	27	190897000518
560	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	83.3%	228 (36.7%)	127 (20.4%)	185 (29.7%)	26 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	51 (8.2%)	$16,004	$1,458	$14,547	3.9	2.6	547	13	190897000746

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About our rankings:

Schooldigger calculates school rankings based on ISASP English Language Arts, ISASP Mathematics, ISASP Science test scores released by the Iowa Department of Education.
These rankings were last updated on August 20, 2025, and are based on the most recent test scores available. We update rankings as we receive new test scores from the Iowa Department of Education, usually on a yearly basis.
Our sources of data include the National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education and the Iowa Department of Education.
For more information about our ranking process, please see our Ranking FAQ. Details about our methodology are here.

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School														Students/Teachers											Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)							Ranking (2025 vs 2024)					ID
Rank (of 576)	School	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Disc Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel from Federal Funds	Total from Federal Funds	Personnel from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Total from State and Local Funds	Average Standard Score (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Rank (2024)	Rank Change from 2024	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	ID
551	Storm Lake Elementary	Public	2-5	1810 Hyland Drive	Storm Lake	50588	Buena Vista County	Storm Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 732-8074	822	50	16.3	75.4%	86 (10.5%)	39 (4.7%)	456 (55.5%)	112 (13.6%)	1 (0.1%)	110 (13.4%)	18 (2.2%)	$12,446			$1,029			$11,417	5	1.9	549	2		192739002107
552	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%)	$16,721			$1,650			$15,072	5	12.4	499	53		190897000534
553	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%)	$16,683			$1,316			$15,366	4.6	10.2	513	40		190897000531
554	Johnson STEAM Academy School	Public	K-5	355 18th ST SE	Cedar Rapids	52403	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 558-3400	324	28	11.7	70.4%	106 (32.7%)	136 (42.0%)	32 (9.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (15.1%)	$15,127			$1,752			$13,376	4.4	4.1	541	13		190654000251
555	James Elementary School	Public	K-5	1001 N Benton	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-5411	249	19	13	68.3%	85 (34.1%)	40 (16.1%)	57 (22.9%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	55 (22.1%)	8 (3.2%)	$13,974			$1,218			$12,755	4.3	7	527	28		192211001320
556	Wright Elementary School	Public	K-5	5001 SW 14th St	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8442	265	22	12.2	77.7%	105 (39.6%)	34 (12.8%)	89 (33.6%)	11 (4.2%)	1 (0.4%)	3 (1.1%)	22 (8.3%)	$15,928			$1,243			$14,685	4.2	21.3	466	90		190897000589
557	Hillis Elementary School	Public	K-5	2401 56th St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8412	279	24	11.4	76.3%	100 (35.8%)	60 (21.5%)	71 (25.4%)	28 (10.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.8%)	$16,776			$1,702			$15,074	4.2	17.8	479	78		190897000541
558	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	84.2%	96 (32.3%)	49 (16.5%)	124 (41.8%)	9 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (5.7%)	$17,791			$1,908			$15,883	4	2	548	10		190897000577
559	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%)	$18,793			$3,389			$15,405	3.9	5.3	532	27		190897000518
560	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	83.3%	228 (36.7%)	127 (20.4%)	185 (29.7%)	26 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	51 (8.2%)	$16,004			$1,458			$14,547	3.9	2.6	547	13		190897000746