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McCombs Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

321^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 7% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

McCombs Middle School is a public middle school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 644 students in grades 6-8. 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. Unfortunately, McCombs Middle School has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of Iowa middle schools over the past 10 years, also earning a 0-star rating.

Some key factors that differentiate McCombs Middle School include very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 46.1% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average and nearby schools like Callanan Middle School and Brody Middle School. Additionally, the school's test scores on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) are consistently below the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 43.8% of 6th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to 72.8% statewide.

Despite the school's challenges, it spends $14,664 per student, which is higher than the state average and the spending of some nearby schools. This suggests the school may be allocating resources to address the needs of its student population, which has an extremely high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 77.02% to 84.36% over the past few years. While the reasons for the school's poor performance are complex, there appear to be significant opportunities for improvement, such as addressing chronic absenteeism and implementing targeted academic interventions to better support student learning.

670

Students ?

16.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,664

Per pupil spending ?

83.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

201 SW County Line Rd
Des Moines, IA 50320

(515) 242-8447

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend McCombs Middle School usually attend:

High:

Lincoln High School

Feeder schools for McCombs Middle School:

Elementary:	Lovejoy Elementary School
	Studebaker Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

38.8%

White:

25.4%

African American:

22.8%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare McCombs Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 5th percentile in 2015 → 7th in 2025

Strengths

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Des Moines Independent Community School District

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (55% vs 74% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (46% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school55%

District avg51%

Iowa avg74%

321^st of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 7%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 10Middle 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	7.9	321 of 344	6.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	7.7	318 of 337	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	3.1	323 of 334	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	4.2	329 of 337	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	2.2	319 of 324	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.9	322 of 342	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	4.7	309 of 318	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.3	312 of 327	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	5.1	334 of 343	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	8.0	330 of 349	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	9.8	321 of 337	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	12.2	333 of 350	4.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	14.5	333 of 349	4.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts56%-20 vs state

Mathematics55%-17 vs state

Science50%-20 vs state

★

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Schools Near McCombs Middle 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 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
McCombs Middle School	Public	6-8	201 SW County Line Rd	Des Moines	50320	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8447	670	40	16.8	83.3%	170 (25.4%)	153 (22.8%)	260 (38.8%)	50 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (5.5%)	7.9	321^st of 344 public middle schools	6.7%		7.7	318^th of 337 public middle schools	5.6%	3	43.8	61.0	62.1	48.8	60.5	57.4	50.0	$14,664	$1,066	$13,598
Weeks Middle School	Public	6-8	901 East Park Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8449	688	48	14.1	87.4%	133 (19.3%)	121 (17.6%)	292 (42.4%)	97 (14.1%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (6.0%)	1.7	334^th of 344 public middle schools	2.9%		1.3	333^rd of 337 public middle schools	1.2%	1	47.7	55.8	49.2	36.4	43.6	40.8	42.4	$14,586	$1,091	$13,495
Brody Middle School	Public	6-8	2501 Park Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8443	641	39	16.4	71.3%	287 (44.8%)	82 (12.8%)	193 (30.1%)	23 (3.6%)	3 (0.5%)	4 (0.6%)	49 (7.6%)	3.9	327^th of 344 public middle schools	4.9%		6.6	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%	7	49.8	53.3	61.4	46.3	45.1	52.0	51.0	$14,143	$628	$13,515
Norwalk Middle School	Public	6-8	200 Cherry Street	Norwalk	50211	Warren County	Norwalk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 981-0435	824	54	15.3	18.1%	712 (86.4%)	14 (1.7%)	63 (7.6%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (3.6%)	63.1	122^nd of 344 public middle schools	64.5%		62.4	136^th of 337 public middle schools	59.6%	14	81.1	80.7	63.2	82.5	84.0	88.0	76.0	$14,307	$188	$14,119
Callanan Middle School	Public	6-8	3010 Center Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8101	553	35	15.7	79.9%	147 (26.6%)	213 (38.5%)	116 (21.0%)	19 (3.4%)	3 (0.5%)	8 (1.4%)	47 (8.5%)	2.3	333^rd of 344 public middle schools	3.2%		6.9	319^th of 337 public middle schools	5.3%	14	49.0	50.3	54.7	41.2	40.9	50.7	48.0	$15,075	$880	$14,196
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	657	39	16.7	43.7%	386 (58.8%)	104 (15.8%)	87 (13.2%)	22 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (8.4%)	48	209^th of 344 public middle schools	39.2%		42.5	224^th of 337 public middle schools	33.5%	15	69.2	80.3	77.9	74.3	75.1	72.9	69.1	$12,938	$599	$12,340
Hiatt Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 E. University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7774	488	35	14.1	93.4%	65 (13.3%)	100 (20.5%)	260 (53.3%)	35 (7.2%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	23 (4.7%)	0.5	341^st of 344 public middle schools	0.9%		0.2	335^th of 337 public middle schools	0.6%	6	43.1	46.2	46.3	30.6	36.4	38.1	37.3	$16,661	$1,079	$15,582
Carlisle Middle School	Public	6-8	325 Scotchridge Rd	Carlisle	50047	Warren County	Carlisle Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 989-0833	518	40	13.1	30.1%	405 (78.2%)	12 (2.3%)	62 (12.0%)	23 (4.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.7%)	44.8	229^th of 344 public middle schools	33.4%		35.5	252^nd of 337 public middle schools	25.2%	23	75.0	69.3	83.6	71.6	69.9	78.4	64.3	$10,769	$174	$10,595
Stilwell Junior High School	Public	7-8	1601 Vine St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6000	645	48	13.4	47.0%	385 (59.7%)	80 (12.4%)	104 (16.1%)	28 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.3%)	43.3	237^th of 344 public middle schools	31.1%		52.1	189^th of 337 public middle schools	43.9%	48		79.5	75.1		73.2	73.5	64.2	$15,102	$192	$14,909
Harding Middle School	Public	6-8	203 E Euclid Ave	Des Moines	50313	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8445	603	38	15.7	88.6%	96 (15.9%)	178 (29.5%)	207 (34.3%)	62 (10.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (9.3%)	0.6	340^th of 344 public middle schools	1.2%		0.7	334^th of 337 public middle schools	0.9%	6	39.6	37.5	48.2	40.3	43.8	42.5	35.2	$13,719	$830	$12,889

Frequently Asked Questions about McCombs Middle School

Is McCombs Middle School a good school?

McCombs Middle School ranks in the bottom 6.7% of Iowa middle schools.

How many students attend McCombs Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 670 students attended McCombs Middle School.

What high school do graduates of McCombs Middle School attend?

Students who attend McCombs Middle School usually go on to attend Lincoln High School

What district is McCombs Middle School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What is the racial makeup of McCombs Middle School?

Students at McCombs Middle School are 39% Hispanic, 25% White, 23% African American, 7% Asian, 6% 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.