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

King Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

573^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 1% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

King Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 273 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 306 out of 313 school districts in the state.

King Elementary School faces significant challenges, with consistently high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 21.6% to 42% over the past few years, significantly higher than the district and state averages. The school's test scores on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) are also consistently lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 34.1% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 46% for the district and 67.9% for the state. Additionally, King Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 91.21% to 97.38% over the past few years, suggesting a high concentration of students from low-income families.

When comparing King Elementary School to other nearby schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, it becomes clear that King is one of the lowest-performing schools in the district. For example, Walnut Street School, Carver Elementary, and Findley Elementary all have significantly higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates than King Elementary. Despite the high per-student spending of $18,403 at King Elementary, the school's performance remains poor compared to its peers, raising questions about the effective allocation and utilization of resources to support student learning and achievement.

315

Students ?

13.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,403

Per pupil spending ?

96.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1849 Forest Ave
Des Moines, IA 50314

(515) 242-8417

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend King Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Callanan Middle School
High:	Roosevelt High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

40.6%

African American:

40.0%

Asian:

7.9%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare King Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2015 → 1st in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (32% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (1st percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (39% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school32%

District avg50%

Iowa avg71%

573^rd of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 1%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

37^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	1.5	573 of 576	0.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	1.0	555 of 557	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	0.4	565 of 565	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	1.9	564 of 574	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	0.6	566 of 567	0.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	0.2	603 of 603	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	1.2	563 of 567	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	2.7	558 of 574	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	1.6	595 of 599	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	1.6	607 of 616	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	3.2	586 of 603	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	4.8	605 of 624	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	3.8	614 of 626	1.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts36%-35 vs state

Mathematics30%-44 vs state

Science27%-37 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate King Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate King Elementary School

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 King 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 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
King Elementary School	Public	K-5	1849 Forest Ave	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8417	315	24	13.1	96.2%	19 (6.0%)	126 (40.0%)	128 (40.6%)	25 (7.9%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	1.5	573^rd of 576 public elementary schools	0.5%		1	555^th of 557 public elementary schools	0.4%	18	34.1	29.7	43.9		46.3	27.0	17.1		26.8	$18,403	$2,345	$16,058
Edmunds Elementary School	Public	K-5	950 15th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 243-1174	259	29	9.0	93.8%	19 (7.3%)	187 (72.2%)	36 (13.9%)	6 (2.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.5%)	1	574^th of 576 public elementary schools	0.3%		1.7	551^st of 557 public elementary schools	1.1%	23	22.5	45.5	37.8		37.5	33.3	40.5		18.9	$18,276	$2,057	$16,219
Moulton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1541 8th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8427	465	33	14.2	94.2%	28 (6.0%)	240 (51.6%)	140 (30.1%)	27 (5.8%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.6%)	9	534^th of 576 public elementary schools	7.3%		7.2	526^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.6%	8	36.5	44.3	54.0		40.5	34.4	66.7		38.1	$16,426	$1,675	$14,751
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
Downtown School	Public	K-5	1800 Grand Avenue	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 284-5848	197	15	13.4	21.3%	133 (67.5%)	16 (8.1%)	26 (13.2%)	3 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (9.6%)	72.3	145^th of 576 public elementary schools	74.8%		71.2	149^th of 557 public elementary schools	73.2%	4	73.5	71.4	85.7		85.3	82.1	83.3		76.2	$14,247	$621	$13,626
Walnut Street School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Walnut St	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8438	257	17	14.9	62.3%	76 (29.6%)	84 (32.7%)	49 (19.1%)	13 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (13.6%)	22.4	485^th of 576 public elementary schools	15.8%		33	430^th of 557 public elementary schools	22.8%	55	55.8	72.0	63.0		39.5	61.5	51.9		59.3	$16,042	$659	$15,382
Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	705 E University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8418	436	31	14.1	92.4%	31 (7.1%)	96 (22.0%)	260 (59.6%)	19 (4.4%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.0%)	3.2	565^th of 576 public elementary schools	1.9%		3.7	544^th of 557 public elementary schools	2.3%	21	33.9	47.4	36.5		44.6	47.4	47.6		36.5	$17,672	$1,648	$16,024
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%)	4.6	553^rd of 576 public elementary schools	4.0%		10.2	513^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.9%	40	35.7	44.4	40.4	66.7	33.3	33.3	36.2	54.5	36.2	$16,683	$1,316	$15,366
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
Hubbell Elementary	Public	K-5	800 42nd St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8414	362	24	14.8	42.8%	213 (58.8%)	57 (15.7%)	49 (13.5%)	7 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.9%)	44.2	375^th of 576 public elementary schools	34.9%		45.4	360^th of 557 public elementary schools	35.4%	15	67.2	76.7	67.2		70.7	66.7	70.5		60.7	$14,542	$654	$13,888

Frequently Asked Questions about King Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of King Elementary School?

Students at King Elementary School are 41% Hispanic, 40% African American, 8% Asian, 6% White, 5% Two or more races.

How many students attend King Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 315 students attended King Elementary School.

Is King Elementary School a good school?

King Elementary School ranks in the bottom 0.5% of Iowa elementary schools.

What district is King Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What schools do graduates of King Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Callanan Middle School
High : Roosevelt High School

Rate King Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IAIowa Elementary School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Des Moines, IA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for King Elementary School!

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.