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Southeast Polk Junior High

Q: Is Southeast Polk Junior High a good school?

Southeast Polk Junior High ranks 226 th of 344 Iowa alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Alternative Grades 8-9

226^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Alternative Schools

Better than 34% of Iowa alternative schools

Summary

Southeast Polk Junior High is a public middle school located in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, serving 1,106 students in grades 7-8. It is part of the Southeast Polk Community School District, which is ranked 121 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school has generally performed well on standardized tests, with proficiency rates above the state averages in most subjects and grade levels. For example, in 2024-2025, 76.8% of 8th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 80.2%. In 8th grade Mathematics, the school had 71.8% proficiency, compared to the state average of 74.4%. However, the school has seen a concerning trend of increasing chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 23.4% in 2022-2023 to 27.1% in 2023-2024, which is significantly higher than the state's average. Additionally, the school has seen a steady increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 33.33% in 2021-2022 to 37.97% in 2023-2024, suggesting a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

When compared to nearby schools, Southeast Polk Junior High generally performs better on test scores, particularly in comparison to Des Moines Independent Community School District schools, which have significantly lower proficiency rates. However, the school's statewide ranking has been declining over the past few years, from 62nd out of 342 Iowa middle schools in 2018-2019 to 226th out of 344 in 2024-2025, suggesting that other schools in the state may be improving at a faster rate.

Students ?

0.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,053

Per pupil spending ?

∞%

Free/discounted lunch ?

8325 NE University Ave.
Pleasant Hill, IA 50327

(515) 967-5509

District: Southeast Polk Community School District

Students who attend Southeast Polk Junior High usually attend:

High:

Southeast Polk High School

Feeder schools for Southeast Polk Junior High:

Elementary:	Altoona Elementary
	Centennial Elementary
	Clay Elementary
	Delaware Elementary
	More...
	Four Mile Elementary
	Mitchellville Elementary
	Runnells Elementary
	Willowbrook Elementary

Racial breakdown:

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Southeast Polk Junior High to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 48th percentile in 2015 → 34th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 0 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 14 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school74%

District avg74%

Iowa avg73%

226^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 34%▼ down 14 pts since 2015

From bottom 48% (2015) to bottom 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

121^st of 313Southeast Polk 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	45.0	226 of 344	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.2	202 of 337	40.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	59.3	150 of 334	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.3	114 of 337	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	66.8	97 of 324	70.1%	★★★★☆
2019	72.8	62 of 342	81.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.6	93 of 318	70.8%	★★★★☆
2017	57.3	143 of 327	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2016	52.1	185 of 343	46.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	53.0	182 of 349	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	48.7	193 of 337	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	60.5	140 of 350	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	56.5	151 of 349	56.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts76%~ state avg

Science75%+5 vs state

Mathematics71%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Southeast Polk Junior High

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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 ()				Ranking ()				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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southeast Polk Junior High	Public, Alternative	8-9	8325 NE University Ave.	Pleasant Hill	50327	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-5509	0	71	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)	76.8	76.2			71.8	69.9			75.1		$13,053	$388	$12,665
Ruby Van Meter	Public, Alternative	K-12	710 28th St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8220	109	22	5.0	71.6%	49 (45.0%)	19 (17.4%)	32 (29.4%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	6 (5.5%)								(n/a)			0.0	9.1			0.0	0.0		0.0	$63,840	$14,304	$49,537
Southview Middle School	Public, Alternative	8-9	1020 SW Cherry St	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9635	913	63	14.4	27.5%	657 (72.0%)	54 (5.9%)	92 (10.1%)	49 (5.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (6.5%)								(n/a)	88.0	86.7			83.8	76.7			80.2		$12,827	$357	$12,470
Northview Middle School	Public, Alternative	8-9	1302 N Ankeny Blvd	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9700	1,021	66	15.3	17.1%	807 (79.0%)	52 (5.1%)	78 (7.6%)	30 (2.9%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	49 (4.8%)								(n/a)	93.5	92.2			83.8	82.1			78.7		$13,230	$291	$12,939
Johnston Middle School	Public, Alternative	8-9	6501 NW 62nd Ave	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 278-0476	1,161	71	16.2	27.0%	739 (63.7%)	138 (11.9%)	104 (9.0%)	115 (9.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (4.7%)								(n/a)	87.8	87.8			81.3	81.4			74.8		$11,024	$470	$10,555
Valley Southwoods	Public, Alternative	9	625 S 35th St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4500	678	49	13.9	49.0%	391 (57.7%)	79 (11.7%)	119 (17.6%)	43 (6.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.3%)								(n/a)		80.1				71.3					$14,577	$194	$14,383

Frequently Asked Questions about Southeast Polk Junior High

Is Southeast Polk Junior High a good school?

Southeast Polk Junior High ranks 226^th of 344 Iowa alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Southeast Polk Junior High?

Students at Southeast Polk Junior High are .

How many students attend Southeast Polk Junior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 0 students attended Southeast Polk Junior High.

What district is Southeast Polk Junior High in?

Southeast Polk Community School District

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IAIowa Alternative School Rankings

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Schools in Pleasant Hill, IA

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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.