Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

South Prairie Elementary

Q: Is South Prairie Elementary a good school?

South Prairie Elementary ranks 122 nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-4

122^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 79% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

South Prairie Elementary is a public elementary school in Grimes, Iowa, serving 455 students in grades K-4 as part of the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District. The school consistently performs above the state average in English Language Arts and Mathematics on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), with 82.7% of 3rd graders and 87.3% of 4th graders proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 67.9% and 76%, respectively.

However, South Prairie Elementary has experienced a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 14.4% in 2021-2022 to 23.4% in 2022-2023, significantly higher than the district's rate of 15.4%. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 18.72% in 2021-2022 to 26.81% in 2023-2024, higher than the district's average of 24.34%. While the school's academic performance is on par with or slightly higher than nearby North Ridge Elementary and Heritage Elementary, it has a higher chronic absenteeism rate and free/reduced lunch rate compared to these schools.

To address these challenges, South Prairie Elementary should investigate the root causes of the increased chronic absenteeism and implement targeted interventions to improve student attendance. Additionally, the school may need to allocate more resources and support to address the needs of its growing economically disadvantaged population. By collaborating with other schools in the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District, South Prairie Elementary can share best practices and strategies to maintain its academic excellence while addressing these emerging concerns.

436

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,303

Per pupil spending ?

30.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

500 S James St
Grimes, IA 50111

(515) 986-4057

District: Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District

Students who attend South Prairie Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School
	Dc-G Oak View
High:	Dallas Center-Grimes High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.7%

African American:

16.5%

Hispanic:

8.3%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare South Prairie Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 87th percentile in 2019 → 79th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (83% vs 73% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 21% of Iowa elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2019

!Near the bottom of Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school83%

District avg85%

Iowa avg73%

122^nd of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 21%▼ down 8 pts since 2019

From top 13% (2019) to top 21% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 4Elementary Schools in the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District

35^th of 313Dallas Center-Grimes 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	74.6	122 of 576	78.8%	★★★★☆
2019	82.0	80 of 603	86.7%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts85%+13 vs state

Mathematics81%+6 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate South Prairie Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate South Prairie Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near South Prairie Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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 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
South Prairie Elementary	Public	K-4	500 S James St	Grimes	50111	Polk County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 986-4057	436	32	13.4	30.3%	304 (69.7%)	72 (16.5%)	36 (8.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.0%)	74.6	122^nd of 576 public elementary schools	78.8%					(n/a)	82.7	87.3		79.0	83.5			$11,303	$380	$10,924
Heritage Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	500 NE Beaverbrooke Blvd	Grimes	50111	Polk County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 300-9627	530	30	17.4	20.2%	427 (80.6%)	43 (8.1%)	25 (4.7%)	12 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.2%)	80.2	72^nd of 576 public elementary schools	87.5%					(n/a)	84.2	89.7		82.9	86.8			$11,776	$348	$11,428
North Ridge Elementary	Public	K-4	400 NW 27th St	Grimes	50111	Polk County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-5674	412	28	14.6	13.3%	371 (90.0%)	7 (1.7%)	15 (3.6%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.9%)	76.3	114^th of 576 public elementary schools	80.2%					(n/a)	83.7	83.0		88.8	79.5			$10,773	$324	$10,450
Waterford Elementary School	Public	K-5	5635 156th ST	Urbandale	50323	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 987-5161	464	30	15.4	10.1%	352 (75.9%)	34 (7.3%)	22 (4.7%)	42 (9.1%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.6%)								(n/a)
Horizon Elementary	Public	K-5	5905 N W 100th Street	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 986-1121	613	44	13.8	35.9%	348 (56.8%)	95 (15.5%)	72 (11.7%)	61 (10.0%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.5%)	55.5	289^th of 576 public elementary schools	49.8%		69	173^rd of 557 public elementary schools	68.9%	116	75.2	87.5	61.9	81.2	76.9	61.9	62.9	$12,602	$637	$11,965
Beaver Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	8701 Lyndhurst	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 278-6228	575	40	14.3	24.7%	339 (59.0%)	115 (20.0%)	45 (7.8%)	50 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	24 (4.2%)	71	158^th of 576 public elementary schools	72.6%		78.3	81^st of 557 public elementary schools	85.5%	77	73.7	76.8	85.6	80.8	76.8	91.4	74.0	$12,513	$534	$11,980
Webster Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	12955 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50323	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 331-8600	519	38	13.5	23.9%	379 (73.0%)	35 (6.7%)	41 (7.9%)	38 (7.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.0%)	85.8	33^rd of 576 public elementary schools	94.3%		83.1	50^th of 557 public elementary schools	91.0%	17	80.6	94.9	86.7	86.1	89.9	90.7	81.3	$15,431	$254	$15,178
Radiant Elementary School	Public	K-5	5050 170th ST	Urbandale	50323	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5161	273	23	11.7	30.4%	150 (54.9%)	45 (16.5%)	25 (9.2%)	27 (9.9%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	22 (8.1%)	61.1	254^th of 576 public elementary schools	55.9%		78.5	78^th of 557 public elementary schools	86.0%	176	72.4	77.8	71.7	86.2	77.8	84.8	58.7
Walnut Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	4240 156th St	Urbandale	50323	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-3585	708	41	17.2	7.1%	547 (77.3%)	30 (4.2%)	43 (6.1%)	43 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.4%)	92.2	8^th of 576 public elementary schools	98.6%		92.5	5^th of 557 public elementary schools	99.1%	3	90.0	94.9	91.9	91.7	97.1	96.3	84.6	$11,663	$253	$11,410
Timber Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	7370 NW 54th AVE	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 331-4379	667	47	14.0	27.3%	400 (60.0%)	69 (10.3%)	60 (9.0%)	95 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.4%)	61.9	247^th of 576 public elementary schools	57.1%		60.6	247^th of 557 public elementary schools	55.7%		75.2	79.5	71.6	83.8	77.7	68.6	70.6	$11,886	$401	$11,485

Frequently Asked Questions about South Prairie Elementary

What schools do graduates of South Prairie Elementary attend?

Students who attend South Prairie Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School
Middle : Dc-G Oak View
High : Dallas Center-Grimes High School

What district is South Prairie Elementary in?

Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District

Is South Prairie Elementary a good school?

South Prairie Elementary ranks 122^nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of South Prairie Elementary?

Students at South Prairie Elementary are 70% White, 17% African American, 8% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend South Prairie Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 436 students attended South Prairie Elementary.

Rate South Prairie Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IAIowa Elementary School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Grimes, IA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for South Prairie Elementary!

Latest Iowa data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 ISASP test scoresAug 20, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesApr 1, 2025

2017–18 through 2023–24 attendance dataNov 15, 2024

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.