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Hillis Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

557^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 3% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Hillis Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 291 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 306 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Hillis Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking between 479 and 557 out of 557-576 schools over the past several years, and a 0-1 star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hillis Elementary stands out for its high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 17.5% to 42.0% over the past few years, significantly higher than the state average. The school's test scores on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) are also consistently below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 29.3% to 56.5%, compared to the state averages of 64.2% to 76%. Additionally, Hillis Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 63.92% to 79.34% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Hillis Elementary to other nearby schools within the same district, such as Hubbell Elementary and Cowles Elementary, it is clear that Hillis is underperforming. These schools have significantly higher test scores, lower chronic absenteeism rates, and lower percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Despite the challenges faced by Hillis Elementary, the school has not shown significant improvement in its performance metrics over time, suggesting that systemic issues may need to be addressed to improve student outcomes.

279

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,776

Per pupil spending ?

76.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2401 56th St
Des Moines, IA 50310

(515) 242-8412

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend Hillis Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Meredith Middle School
High:	Hoover High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

35.8%

Hispanic:

25.4%

African American:

21.5%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Hillis Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 19th percentile in 2015 → 3rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (43% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (3rd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 16 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school43%

District avg50%

Iowa avg71%

557^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 3%▼ down 16 pts since 2015

From bottom 19% (2015) to bottom 3% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

28^th of 38Elementary Schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District

306^th of 313Des Moines Independent 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	4.2	557 of 576	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	17.8	479 of 557	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.4	513 of 565	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	17.8	500 of 574	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	15.6	505 of 567	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	9.2	571 of 603	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	16.1	498 of 567	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.7	488 of 574	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	31.7	480 of 599	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.0	499 of 616	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	35.2	472 of 603	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	34.8	492 of 624	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	28.5	530 of 626	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics47%-27 vs state

English Language Arts43%-28 vs state

Science29%-35 vs state

5.0

1 rating

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Hillis 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th 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 Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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%)	4.2	557^th of 576 public elementary schools	3.3%		17.8	479^th of 557 public elementary schools	14.0%	78	38.1	50.0	41.5				50.0	56.5	34.1				29.3		$16,776	$1,702	$15,074
Horizon Science Academy Des Moines	Public, Charter	PK, KG-4	4801 Franklin Ave 2nd	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Charter Organization: Concept Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 335-1937	150	8	18.7	79.3%	68 (45.3%)	41 (27.3%)	21 (14.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (13.3%)	18.1	496^th of 576 public elementary schools	13.9%					(n/a)	36.8	50.0					73.7	58.3
Cowles Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	6401 College Ave	Des Moines	50324	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-7818	392	23	16.7	20.2%	308 (78.6%)	4 (1.0%)	30 (7.7%)	12 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.2%)	70.6	167^th of 576 public elementary schools	71.0%		61	243^rd of 557 public elementary schools	56.4%	76	62.2	97.0	93.3	85.2	93.8	100.0	70.3	84.8	83.3	77.8	93.8	96.8	83.3	96.8	$14,566	$624	$13,942
Moore Elementary School	Public	K-5	3725 52nd St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8426	285	24	12.0	67.0%	101 (35.4%)	59 (20.7%)	61 (21.4%)	29 (10.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	32 (11.2%)	17.6	497^th of 576 public elementary schools	13.7%		10.4	510^th of 557 public elementary schools	8.4%	13	54.8	56.5	60.7				64.3	50.0	42.6				55.7		$16,099	$1,236	$14,863
Perkins Elementary School	Public	K-5	4301 College	Des Moines	50311	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8430	438	29	15.0	62.8%	188 (42.9%)	85 (19.4%)	98 (22.4%)	22 (5.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.6%)	24.7	474^th of 576 public elementary schools	17.7%		49	342^nd of 557 public elementary schools	38.6%	132	53.8	60.9	64.5				64.6	62.5	59.2				55.3		$14,697	$1,156	$13,541
Windsor Elementary	Public	K-5	5912 University Avenue	Des Moines	50311	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8440	254	22	11.7	57.5%	128 (50.4%)	35 (13.8%)	56 (22.0%)	7 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.0%)	24.4	478^th of 576 public elementary schools	17.0%		28	448^th of 557 public elementary schools	19.6%	30	50.0	75.0	55.6				61.8	64.7	54.5				44.4		$15,936	$723	$15,213
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
Karen Acres Elementary School	Public	K-5	3500 74th St	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 457-5700	233	19	11.9	52.8%	122 (52.4%)	11 (4.7%)	48 (20.6%)	37 (15.9%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.2%)	64.7	225^th of 576 public elementary schools	60.9%		57.8	271^st of 557 public elementary schools	51.3%	46	89.5	81.1	72.5				92.1	62.2	77.5				67.5		$13,768	$98	$13,670
Olmsted Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7110 Prairie Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 457-5100	622	49	12.8	51.0%	319 (51.3%)	88 (14.1%)	104 (16.7%)	72 (11.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	37 (5.9%)	48.6	337^th of 576 public elementary schools	41.5%		44.7	366^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.3%	29	68.3	72.2	71.7				73.2	66.7	75.8				63.6
Monroe Elementary School	Public	K-5	2250 30th St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8425	341	30	11.3	90.3%	37 (10.9%)	160 (46.9%)	85 (24.9%)	45 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	12 (3.5%)	2.9	567^th of 576 public elementary schools	1.6%		1.8	550^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.3%	17	38.5	40.0	38.5				50.0	51.1	40.4				29.4		$19,913	$3,902	$16,011

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillis Elementary School

How many students attend Hillis Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 279 students attended Hillis Elementary School.

Is Hillis Elementary School a good school?

Hillis Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3.3% of Iowa elementary schools.

What district is Hillis Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What schools do graduates of Hillis Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Hillis Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Meredith Middle School
High : Hoover High School

What is the racial makeup of Hillis Elementary School?

Students at Hillis Elementary School are 36% White, 25% Hispanic, 22% African American, 10% Asian, 7% Two or more races.

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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.