Cowles Elementary School

Q: Is Cowles Elementary School a good school?

Cowles Elementary School ranks 259 th of 565 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public PK, KG-8

6401 College Ave
Des Moines, IA 50324

(515) 242-7818

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
259^th of 565 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,566

Students who attend Cowles Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Merrill Middle School
High:	Roosevelt High School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.8

Number of students: 391

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.0%

Two or more races:

9.7%

Hispanic:

6.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 16.9%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Cowles Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cowles Elementary School ranks better than 54.2% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks first among 38 ranked elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.69. (See more...)

Compare Details Cowles Elementary School ranks better than 91.7% of middle schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.91. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (78%), two or more races (9.7%), Hispanic (6.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 16.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cowles Elementary School is 17.8. 37 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Cowles Elementary School employs 21.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cowles Elementary School is $14,566. 34 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Cowles Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Cowles Elementary School 28^th of 336 Iowa public middle schools. (See Cowles Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Des Moines Independent Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Des Moines Independent Community School District 307^th of 311 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Cowles Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	72.30	119^th	626	81.0%
2013	69.62	156^th	624	75.0%
2014	73.42	125^th	603	79.3%
2015	74.89	133^rd	616	78.4%
2016	78.42	83^rd	599	86.1%
2017	84.66	30^th	574	94.8%
2018	76.81	95^th	567	83.2%
2019	81.60	81^st	603	86.6%
2021	60.68	230^th	567	59.4%
2022	67.21	198^th	574	65.5%
2023	57.69	259^th	565	54.2%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Cowles Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	84.44	14^th	349	96.0%
2013	86.08	8^th	350	97.7%
2014	86.55	10^th	337	97.0%
2015	93.16	3^rd	349	99.1%
2016	86.52	10^th	343	97.1%
2017	93.79	3^rd	327	99.1%
2018	78.03	41^st	318	87.1%
2019	86.70	17^th	342	95.0%
2021	91.05	6^th	324	98.1%
2022	94.18	2^nd	337	99.4%
2023	81.91	28^th	334	91.6%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Cowles Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	74	6	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	81
1990	44	5	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	49
1991	131	9	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	144
1992	392	22	13	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	432
1993	149	16	1	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	169
1994	145	17	4	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	169
1995	185	9	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	195
1996	185	9	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	195
1997	63	11	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	74
1998	63	9	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	75
1999	81	6	1	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	91
2000	88	3	2	1	1	n/a	n/a	-8	87
2001	97	6	0	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	106
2002	172	15	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	192
2003	172	15	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	192
2004	153	33	5	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	195
2005	213	15	10	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	245
2006	235	14	9	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	269
2007	249	10	11	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	277
2008	244	15	21	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	290
2009	269	18	23	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	323
2010	263	12	9	18	1	0	29	0	332
2011	281	11	8	17	1	0	27	0	345
2012	288	12	11	18	2	2	30	0	363
2013	304	13	15	20	3	2	36	0	393
2014	303	11	8	21	2	3	42	0	390
2015	313	9	12	20	1	4	40	0	399
2016	299	8	16	26	2	4	47	0	402
2017	305	10	15	28	2	5	43	0	408
2018	305	9	14	23	2	4	40	0	397
2019	300	8	16	20	2	4	43	0	393
2020	318	10	17	25	3	4	47	0	424
2021	295	6	19	28	2	2	40	0	392
2022	293	5	17	26	2	0	37	0	380
2023	305	6	13	25	2	0	38	2	391

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cowles Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	81	7.3	11.0	67.9
1990	49	5.6	8.7	32.7
1991	144	22.6	6.3	41.7
1992	432	29.0	14.8	6.9
1993	169	18.9	8.9	20.7
1994	169	16.0	10.6	17.2
1995	195	10.0	19.5	9.2
1996	195	10.0	19.5	9.2
1997	74	10.0	7.4	28.4
1998	75	10.0	7.5	6.7
1999	91	12.9	7.1	22
2000	87	16.0	5.4	20
2001	106	18.1	5.9	35.8
2002	192	19.2	10.0	7.3
2003	192	19.2	10.0	7.3
2004	195	18.6	10.5	10.8
2005	245	12.9	19.0	8.6
2006	269	12.9	20.9	7.4
2007	277	15.7	17.6	6.9
2008	290	16.7	17.4	11
2009	323	16.1	20.1	12.4
2010	332	16.6	19.9	15.4
2011	345	17.0	20.2	17.1
2012	363	18.0	20.1	17.4
2013	393	21.0	18.7	17.8
2014	390	23.0	16.9	12.8
2015	399	22.0	18.1	15.3
2016	402	23.0	17.4	24.6
2017	408	24.1	16.8	15
2018	397	22.8	17.4	17.9
2019	393	22.1	17.7	21.1
2020	424	21.4	19.8	21.2
2021	392	22.3	17.5	16.6
2022	380	22.2	17.1	15.5
2023	391	21.9	17.8	16.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cowles Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	81	7.3	11.0	67.9
1990	49	5.6	8.7	32.7
1991	144	22.6	6.3	41.7
1992	432	29.0	14.8	6.9
1993	169	18.9	8.9	20.7
1994	169	16.0	10.6	17.2
1995	195	10.0	19.5	9.2
1996	195	10.0	19.5	9.2
1997	74	10.0	7.4	28.4
1998	75	10.0	7.5	6.7
1999	91	12.9	7.1	22
2000	87	16.0	5.4	20
2001	106	18.1	5.9	35.8
2002	192	19.2	10.0	7.3
2003	192	19.2	10.0	7.3
2004	195	18.6	10.5	10.8
2005	245	12.9	19.0	8.6
2006	269	12.9	20.9	7.4
2007	277	15.7	17.6	6.9
2008	290	16.7	17.4	11
2009	323	16.1	20.1	12.4
2010	332	16.6	19.9	15.4
2011	345	17.0	20.2	17.1
2012	363	18.0	20.1	17.4
2013	393	21.0	18.7	17.8
2014	390	23.0	16.9	12.8
2015	399	22.0	18.1	15.3
2016	402	23.0	17.4	24.6
2017	408	24.1	16.8	15
2018	397	22.8	17.4	17.9
2019	393	22.1	17.7	21.1
2020	424	21.4	19.8	21.2
2021	392	22.3	17.5	16.6
2022	380	22.2	17.1	15.5
2023	391	21.9	17.8	16.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cowles Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$624 (4.3%)	$13,942 (95.7%)	$14,566

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cowles Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 81^st of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 259^th of 565 Elementary schools	32.4%
Ranks 17^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 28^th of 334 Middle schools	3.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cowles Elementary School)	77.4	85.3	7.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	44	43.3	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cowles Elementary School)	77.4	73.5	3.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	52	52.1	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cowles Elementary School)	90.9	80	10.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	49.7	52.4	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cowles Elementary School)	84.8	54.3	30.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	50.9	47.6	3.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cowles Elementary School)	88.9	86.1	2.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	46.5	49.5	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cowles Elementary School)	72.2	52.8	19.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.4	51.6	3.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Cowles Elementary School)	91.4	91.4
6th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.3	45.6	2.7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Cowles Elementary School)	91.4	60	31.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.1	41	10.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Cowles Elementary School)	80	93.1	13.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	47.8	48.4	0.6%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Cowles Elementary School)	74.3	89.7	15.4%
7th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.9	43.3	8.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Cowles Elementary School)	94.9	96.3	1.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	50.7	51.5	0.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Cowles Elementary School)	94.9	100	5.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	51.9	46.1	5.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.8	72	0.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	393	391	0.5%
African American	8	6	25%
American Indian	2	2
Asian	16	13	18.8%
Hispanic	20	25	25%
Pacific Islander	4	0	100%
White	300	305	1.7%
Two or More Races	43	38	11.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.1%	16.9%	4.2%

Schools Near Cowles Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				ISASP English Language Arts (2023)						ISASP Mathematics (2023)						ISASP Science (2023)		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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	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
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	(n/a)	(515) 242-7818	391	22	17.8	16.9%	305 (78.0%)	6 (1.5%)	25 (6.4%)	13 (3.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (9.7%)	57.7	259^th of 565 public elementary schools	54.2%		67.2	198^th of 574 public elementary schools	65.5%	61	85.3	80.0	86.1	91.4	93.1	96.3	73.5	54.3	52.8	60.0	89.7	100.0	77.8	96.3	$14,566	$624	$13,942
Windsor Elementary	Public	K-5	5912 University Avenue	Des Moines	50311	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 242-8440	296	24	12.1	60.1%	169 (57.1%)	45 (15.2%)	49 (16.6%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	22 (7.4%)	35.2	428^th of 565 public elementary schools	24.2%		47.9	345^th of 574 public elementary schools	39.9%	83	53.7	67.4	64.2				61.0	67.4	69.8				54.7		$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	(n/a)	(515) 633-5800	528	41	12.8	43.9%	236 (44.7%)	89 (16.9%)	116 (22.0%)	43 (8.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (8.1%)	47.8	345^th of 565 public elementary schools	38.9%		38.9	402^nd of 574 public elementary schools	30.0%	57	77.9	68.4	60.6	66.7			82.4	75.4	71.4	60.9			59.2		$14,178	$481	$13,696
Hillis Elementary School	Public	K-5	2401 56th St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 242-8412	305	24	12.6	79.3%	104 (34.1%)	55 (18.0%)	75 (24.6%)	40 (13.1%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.3%)	26 (8.5%)	13.4	513^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.2%		17.8	500^th of 574 public elementary schools	12.9%	13	47.2	62.5	42.2				44.4	60.0	53.3				42.2		$16,776	$1,702	$15,074
Crestview School of Inquiry	Public	PK, KG-6	8355 Franklin Avenue	Clive	50325	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 633-5700	574	46	12.4	58.2%	135 (23.5%)	64 (11.1%)	258 (44.9%)	93 (16.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.2%)	28.4	448^th of 565 public elementary schools	20.7%		18.7	495^th of 574 public elementary schools	13.8%	47	58.7	53.7	57.1	62.7			60.3	62.7	69.8	61.2			60.3		$14,822	$670	$14,152
Perkins Elementary School	Public	K-5	4301 College	Des Moines	50311	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 242-8430	438	28	15.5	61.0%	218 (49.8%)	83 (18.9%)	74 (16.9%)	16 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (10.5%)	39.6	402^nd of 565 public elementary schools	28.8%		40.6	392^nd of 574 public elementary schools	31.7%	10	62.3	72.9	63.1				68.6	71.4	66.2				47.7		$14,697	$1,156	$13,541
Karen Acres Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3500 74th Street	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 457-5700	296	22	13.7	57.1%	144 (48.6%)	31 (10.5%)	48 (16.2%)	45 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	26 (8.8%)	39.1	404^th of 565 public elementary schools	28.5%		52.3	312^th of 574 public elementary schools	45.6%	92	79.2	66.0	62.5				72.9	61.7	56.3				54.2		$13,997	$491	$13,506
Moore Elementary School	Public	K-5	3725 52nd St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 242-8426	296	25	11.7	72.0%	119 (40.2%)	63 (21.3%)	51 (17.2%)	31 (10.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (10.5%)	12.2	515^th of 565 public elementary schools	8.8%		14.8	514^th of 574 public elementary schools	10.5%	1	49.2	41.7	52.5				55.9	38.9	45.0				52.5		$16,099	$1,236	$14,863
Olmsted Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7110 Prairie Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 457-5100	662	46	14.3	46.7%	384 (58.0%)	86 (13.0%)	86 (13.0%)	60 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (6.6%)	45.2	366^th of 565 public elementary schools	35.2%		32.3	437^th of 574 public elementary schools	23.9%	71	58.2	64.4	69.5				69.4	70.0	73.7				65.3
Hubbell Elementary	Public	K-5	800 42nd St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 242-8414	407	27	15.0	44.2%	250 (61.4%)	72 (17.7%)	42 (10.3%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	35 (8.6%)	38.5	407^th of 565 public elementary schools	28.0%		47.3	350^th of 574 public elementary schools	39.0%	57	59.4	65.2	66.2				67.2	68.1	67.6				57.7		$14,542	$654	$13,888

Frequently Asked Questions about Cowles Elementary School

Is Cowles Elementary School a good school?

Cowles Elementary School ranks 259^th of 565 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Cowles Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent Community School District

What schools do graduates of Cowles Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Merrill Middle School
High : Roosevelt High School

What is the racial makeup of Cowles Elementary School?

Students at Cowles Elementary School are 78% White, 10% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 3% Asian, 2% African American.

How many students attend Cowles Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 391 students attended Cowles Elementary School.

Rate Cowles Elementary School!

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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. Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

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.

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