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Pleasant Hill Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

477^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Pleasant Hill Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 211 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.

Despite the district's low ranking, Pleasant Hill Elementary consistently outperforms the district and the state of Iowa in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 58.3% of 3rd graders, 67.7% of 4th graders, and 60% of 5th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the district scores of 46%, 55.9%, and 50.6%, respectively. However, the school has relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 42% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, Pleasant Hill Elementary generally outperforms them in test scores, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics. However, some nearby schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District, such as Delaware Elementary and Four Mile Elementary, significantly outperform Pleasant Hill Elementary across all subjects and grade levels. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 63.03% to 68.54% in recent years, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families.

241

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,655

Per pupil spending ?

68.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4801 E Oakwood Dr
Des Moines, IA 50327

(515) 242-8432

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

Students who attend Pleasant Hill Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hoyt Middle School
High:	East High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.8%

Hispanic:

25.3%

African American:

10.4%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Pleasant Hill Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2015 → 17th in 2025

Strengths

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

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (60% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 51 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school60%

District avg50%

Iowa avg71%

477^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 50 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to bottom 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^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	24.5	477 of 576	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	39.5	389 of 557	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.7	459 of 565	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.8	460 of 574	19.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.9	466 of 567	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	46.5	361 of 603	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.9	228 of 567	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.4	265 of 574	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.8	214 of 599	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	68.6	200 of 616	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	46.8	401 of 603	33.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	52.7	350 of 624	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	43.7	428 of 626	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics63%-11 vs state

English Language Arts62%-9 vs state

Science44%-20 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a teacher
Thursday, June 23, 2022

BEST SCHOOL IN IOWA!!! Close Quote

Schools Near Pleasant Hill Elementary School

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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
Pleasant Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4801 E Oakwood Dr	Des Moines	50327	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8432	241	20	11.8	68.9%	137 (56.8%)	25 (10.4%)	61 (25.3%)	6 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.0%)	24.5	477^th of 576 public elementary schools	17.2%		39.5	389^th of 557 public elementary schools	30.2%	88	58.3	67.7	60.0	66.7	64.5	56.0	44.0	$15,655	$628	$15,027
Stowe Elementary School	Public	K-5	1411 E 33rd St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8435	297	25	12.0	84.2%	96 (32.3%)	49 (16.5%)	124 (41.8%)	9 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	17 (5.7%)	4	558^th of 576 public elementary schools	3.1%		2	548^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.6%	10	46.9	36.4	50.0	44.9	24.2	35.3	32.4	$17,791	$1,908	$15,883
Willard Elementary School	Public	K-5	2941 Dean Avenue	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8439	247	24	10.3	88.7%	81 (32.8%)	25 (10.1%)	116 (47.0%)	13 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (4.9%)	20.1	490^th of 576 public elementary schools	14.9%		10.9	507^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.0%	17	50.0	64.7	51.2	67.5	61.8	65.1	41.9	$16,503	$1,680	$14,822
Brubaker Elementary School	Public	K-5	2900 E 42nd Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8405	622	52	12.0	83.3%	228 (36.7%)	127 (20.4%)	185 (29.7%)	26 (4.2%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	51 (8.2%)	3.9	560^th of 576 public elementary schools	2.8%		2.6	547^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.8%	13	47.6	48.0	41.9	42.9	48.0	38.1	33.7	$16,004	$1,458	$14,547
Four Mile Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	670 SE 68th St	Pleasant Hill	50327	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 265-1972	495	36	13.8	37.8%	345 (69.7%)	23 (4.6%)	66 (13.3%)	27 (5.5%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (1.8%)	24 (4.8%)	71.2	157^th of 576 public elementary schools	72.7%		69.2	169^th of 557 public elementary schools	69.7%	12	69.3	88.9	76.0	76.0	91.4	84.0	72.0	$13,837	$290	$13,547
Phillips Elementary	Public	K-5	1701 Lay St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8431	263	24	10.9	79.1%	129 (49.0%)	24 (9.1%)	89 (33.8%)	5 (1.9%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.3%)	9.6	530^th of 576 public elementary schools	8.0%		11.5	504^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.5%	26	40.0	56.3	43.2	66.0	59.4	40.5	32.4	$16,246	$669	$15,577
River Woods Elementary School	Public	K-5	2929 SE 22nd St	Des Moines	50320	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8433	493	43	11.5	86.8%	59 (12.0%)	93 (18.9%)	231 (46.9%)	88 (17.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.5%)	12.1	517^th of 576 public elementary schools	10.2%		7.7	521^st of 557 public elementary schools	6.5%	4	53.2	42.6	55.7	48.4	41.2	55.7	52.9	$15,278	$1,674	$13,604
Delaware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 E 46th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 262-3197	440	36	12.1	45.9%	267 (60.7%)	63 (14.3%)	57 (13.0%)	25 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (5.9%)	65.6	215^th of 576 public elementary schools	62.7%		72.2	138^th of 557 public elementary schools	75.2%	77	83.6	87.1	72.9	86.6	83.9	64.3	64.3	$15,865	$1,352	$14,513
Clay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3200 First Avenue S.	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-4198	700	43	16.4	36.1%	423 (60.4%)	98 (14.0%)	104 (14.9%)	22 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	53 (7.6%)	48	343^rd of 576 public elementary schools	40.5%		61	242^nd of 557 public elementary schools	56.6%	101	68.3	77.7	68.3	74.0	73.8	61.0	66.3	$12,723	$186	$12,537
Garton Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2820 E 24th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8408	535	36	14.8	89.3%	101 (18.9%)	94 (17.6%)	243 (45.4%)	58 (10.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (7.1%)	5	552^nd of 576 public elementary schools	4.2%		12.4	499^th of 557 public elementary schools	10.4%	53	37.8	49.2	33.8	63.5	47.6	41.3	28.8	$16,721	$1,650	$15,072

Frequently Asked Questions about Pleasant Hill Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Pleasant Hill Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Pleasant Hill Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hoyt Middle School
High : East High School

How many students attend Pleasant Hill Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 241 students attended Pleasant Hill Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Pleasant Hill Elementary School?

Students at Pleasant Hill Elementary School are 57% White, 25% Hispanic, 10% African American, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Pleasant Hill Elementary School a good school?

Pleasant Hill Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.2% of Iowa elementary schools.

What district is Pleasant Hill Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

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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.