Meredith Middle School

Meredith Middle School is a public school in Des Moines, IA, serving 662 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, where nearly 80% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the area.

While Meredith has historically ranked in the bottom 5-6% of Iowa middle schools, it stands out as a relative academic leader within its district. Compared to nearby peers like Hiatt Middle School and Harding Middle School, Meredith performs better, especially in 7th grade, where proficiency rates in ELA (61.7%) and Math (57.4%) exceed the district average. However, a stark contrast exists with Merrill Middle School, just 3.5 miles away in the same district, which has a much lower poverty rate (43.68% vs. 79.76%) and significantly higher academic outcomes—such as 8th-grade Math proficiency at 72.9% compared to Meredith's 54.5%. This gap highlights how socioeconomic factors heavily influence school performance, even within the same district.

Chronic absenteeism is a major issue at Meredith, with 39.9% of students chronically absent in 2023-2024, nearly double the state average, though this rate has been steadily declining from a pandemic peak of 65.3%. Notably, per-student spending at Meredith ($14,971) is higher than at high-performing suburban schools like Summit Middle School ($11,977) in the Johnston Community School District, suggesting that funding alone isn't the solution. Despite low rankings, there are positive signs: the school's state ranking has improved from the 2nd percentile in 2020-2021 to the 6th percentile in 2024-2025, and targeted interventions may be driving this upward trajectory in a challenging environment.