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Karen Acres Elementary School

Q: Is Karen Acres Elementary School a good school?

Karen Acres Elementary School ranks 225 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

225^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 61% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Karen Acres Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Urbandale, Iowa, serving 244 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Urbandale Community School District, which is ranked 126 out of 313 school districts in Iowa and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Karen Acres Elementary consistently outperforms the Urbandale district and the state of Iowa in standardized test scores, with 89.5% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts and 92.1% proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 78.6% and 82.8% for the district, respectively. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.2 to 13.5 over the past few years, which is lower than the district average and may contribute to the school's strong academic performance. While the school has seen an increase in chronic absenteeism rates, reaching 23.4% in the 2022-2023 school year, it is still lower than the district's average of 21.8%.

When compared to other elementary schools in the Urbandale district, such as Olmsted Elementary School and Valerius Elementary School, Karen Acres stands out as a high-performing school with higher test scores and lower chronic absenteeism rates. Compared to schools outside the Urbandale district, such as Horizon Elementary in the Johnston Community School District and Cowles Elementary in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, Karen Acres also demonstrates exceptional academic performance.

233

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,768

Per pupil spending ?

52.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3500 74th St
Urbandale, IA 50322-2446

(515) 457-5700

District: Urbandale Community School District

Students who attend Karen Acres Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Urbandale Middle School
High:	Urbandale High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

52.4%

Hispanic:

20.6%

Asian:

15.9%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Karen Acres Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 68th percentile in 2015 → 61st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (77% vs 71% meeting standards)

✓Above the Iowa median (61st percentile)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 7 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school77%

District avg79%

Iowa avg71%

225^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 39%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 32% (2015) to top 39% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Urbandale Community School District

126^th of 313Urbandale 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	64.7	225 of 576	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.8	271 of 557	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.8	183 of 565	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.1	215 of 574	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.2	296 of 567	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	68.5	182 of 603	69.8%	★★★★☆
2018	64.5	224 of 567	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	71.0	161 of 574	72.0%	★★★★☆
2016	69.9	175 of 599	70.8%	★★★★☆
2015	69.2	195 of 616	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2014	70.6	158 of 603	73.8%	★★★★☆
2013	62.8	248 of 624	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	57.8	300 of 626	52.1%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts81%+10 vs state

Mathematics77%+4 vs state

Science68%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Karen Acres 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 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
Karen Acres Elementary School	Public	K-5	3500 74th St	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 457-5700	233	19	11.9	52.8%	122 (52.4%)	11 (4.7%)	48 (20.6%)	37 (15.9%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.2%)	64.7	225^th of 576 public elementary schools	60.9%		57.8	271^st of 557 public elementary schools	51.3%	46	89.5	81.1	72.5				92.1	62.2	77.5				67.5		$13,768	$98	$13,670
Olmsted Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7110 Prairie Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 457-5100	622	49	12.8	51.0%	319 (51.3%)	88 (14.1%)	104 (16.7%)	72 (11.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	37 (5.9%)	48.6	337^th of 576 public elementary schools	41.5%		44.7	366^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.3%	29	68.3	72.2	71.7				73.2	66.7	75.8				63.6
Valerius Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3305 92nd St	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 457-6500	598	47	12.7	43.3%	363 (60.7%)	62 (10.4%)	73 (12.2%)	68 (11.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (5.0%)	77.2	103^rd of 576 public elementary schools	82.1%		61.8	228^th of 557 public elementary schools	59.1%	125	81.7	81.9	87.8				84.9	79.2	82.9				78.0
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	Yes	(515) 633-5700	558	48	11.6	84.1%	96 (17.2%)	54 (9.7%)	324 (58.1%)	65 (11.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (3.4%)	11.3	524^th of 576 public elementary schools	9.0%		17.7	481^st of 557 public elementary schools	13.6%	43	50.7	43.1	54.5	58.6			50.7	39.2	54.5	60.3			50.9		$14,822	$670	$14,152
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	Yes	(515) 633-5800	551	43	12.6	59.7%	250 (45.4%)	100 (18.1%)	99 (18.0%)	41 (7.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (10.7%)	49	334^th of 576 public elementary schools	42.0%		50.2	327^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.3%	7	62.0	74.6	75.4	79.1			64.8	71.2	72.5	73.5			66.7		$14,178	$481	$13,696
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	No	(515) 242-7818	392	23	16.7	20.2%	308 (78.6%)	4 (1.0%)	30 (7.7%)	12 (3.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.2%)	70.6	167^th of 576 public elementary schools	71.0%		61	243^rd of 557 public elementary schools	56.4%	76	62.2	97.0	93.3	85.2	93.8	100.0	70.3	84.8	83.3	77.8	93.8	96.8	83.3	96.8	$14,566	$624	$13,942
Hillis Elementary School	Public	K-5	2401 56th St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8412	279	24	11.4	76.3%	100 (35.8%)	60 (21.5%)	71 (25.4%)	28 (10.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (6.8%)	4.2	557^th of 576 public elementary schools	3.3%		17.8	479^th of 557 public elementary schools	14.0%	78	38.1	50.0	41.5				50.0	56.5	34.1				29.3		$16,776	$1,702	$15,074
Moore Elementary School	Public	K-5	3725 52nd St	Des Moines	50310	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8426	285	24	12.0	67.0%	101 (35.4%)	59 (20.7%)	61 (21.4%)	29 (10.2%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.7%)	32 (11.2%)	17.6	497^th of 576 public elementary schools	13.7%		10.4	510^th of 557 public elementary schools	8.4%	13	54.8	56.5	60.7				64.3	50.0	42.6				55.7		$16,099	$1,236	$14,863
Timber Ridge Elementary	Public	K-5	7370 NW 54th AVE	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 331-4379	667	47	14.0	27.3%	400 (60.0%)	69 (10.3%)	60 (9.0%)	95 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.4%)	61.9	247^th of 576 public elementary schools	57.1%		60.6	247^th of 557 public elementary schools	55.7%		75.2	79.5	71.6				83.8	77.7	68.6				70.6		$11,886	$401	$11,485
Windsor Elementary	Public	K-5	5912 University Avenue	Des Moines	50311	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8440	254	22	11.7	57.5%	128 (50.4%)	35 (13.8%)	56 (22.0%)	7 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (11.0%)	24.4	478^th of 576 public elementary schools	17.0%		28	448^th of 557 public elementary schools	19.6%	30	50.0	75.0	55.6				61.8	64.7	54.5				44.4		$15,936	$723	$15,213

Frequently Asked Questions about Karen Acres Elementary School

What district is Karen Acres Elementary School in?

Urbandale Community School District

How many students attend Karen Acres Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 233 students attended Karen Acres Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Karen Acres Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Karen Acres Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Urbandale Middle School
High : Urbandale High School

Is Karen Acres Elementary School a good school?

Karen Acres Elementary School ranks 225^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Karen Acres Elementary School?

Students at Karen Acres Elementary School are 52% White, 21% Hispanic, 16% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 5% African American, 1% American Indian.

Rate Karen Acres Elementary School!

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Latest Iowa data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 ISASP test scoresAug 20, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesApr 1, 2025

2017–18 through 2023–24 attendance dataNov 15, 2024

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.