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Van Meter Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

6^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 98% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

Van Meter Middle School is a public middle school serving 241 students in grades 6-8 within the Van Meter Community School District in Van Meter, Iowa. This exceptional school consistently outperforms the state average on academic assessments, with over 90% of students proficient or better in core subjects like English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.

Van Meter Middle School stands out for its low chronic absenteeism rates, which are significantly lower than the state average. Additionally, the school serves a relatively affluent community, with only 5-7% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, compared to higher rates at nearby schools like Indian Hills Junior High School and Stilwell Junior High School. Despite its high academic performance, Van Meter Middle School spends less per student than many of the surrounding schools, suggesting efficient resource allocation.

One notable difference is the school's higher student-teacher ratio, ranging from 36.4 to 39.1 students per teacher, compared to nearby schools with ratios as low as 11.6 to 20.1 students per teacher. While this could potentially impact the level of individual attention students receive, the school's exceptional academic outcomes demonstrate that the larger class sizes are not significantly hindering student learning. Overall, Van Meter Middle School stands out as an exemplary educational institution, delivering consistently high performance and efficient resource utilization.

252

Students ?

33.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$7,390

Per pupil spending ?

6.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

520 1st Ave
Van Meter, IA 50261

(515) 996-2221

District: Van Meter Community School District

Students who attend Van Meter Middle School usually attend:

High:

Van Meter High School

Feeder schools for Van Meter Middle School:

Elementary:

Van Meter Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.0%

Hispanic:

2.8%

Two or more races:

2.4%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Van Meter Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 94th percentile in 2019 → 98th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (92% vs 74% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 2% of Iowa middle schools

Worth a look

!Large classes — about 33 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school92%

District avg92%

Iowa avg74%

6^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 2%▲ up 4 pts since 2019

From top 6% (2019) to top 2% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 313Van Meter 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	90.1	6 of 344	98.3%	★★★★★
2024	90.1	6 of 337	98.2%	★★★★★
2023	91.3	4 of 334	98.8%	★★★★★
2022	90.3	7 of 337	97.9%	★★★★★
2021	86.3	15 of 324	95.4%	★★★★★
2019	85.2	20 of 342	94.2%	★★★★★

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts94%+18 vs state

Mathematics92%+19 vs state

Science89%+19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Van Meter Middle 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 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th 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
Van Meter Middle School	Public	6-8	520 1st Ave	Van Meter	50261	Dallas County	Van Meter Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 996-2221	252	8	33.1	6.7%	237 (94.0%)	1 (0.4%)	7 (2.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.4%)	90.1	6^th of 344 public middle schools	98.3%		90.1	6^th of 337 public middle schools	98.2%			91.0	95.3	94.7		88.8	91.9	94.7		89.5	$7,390	$259	$7,131
DeSoto Intermediate School	Public	5-6	317 Spruce St	De Soto	50069	Dallas County	Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 834-2424	337	25	13.7	20.2%	302 (89.6%)	4 (1.2%)	17 (5.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.6%)								(n/a)	84.0	94.9			87.4	91.1			77.1		$10,530	$359	$10,171
South Middle School	Public	6-7	2350 SE LA Grant Parkway	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-3222	1,092	74	14.8	25.5%	680 (62.3%)	113 (10.3%)	92 (8.4%)	119 (10.9%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (7.9%)	70.2	80^th of 344 public middle schools	76.7%		69.7	88^th of 337 public middle schools	73.9%	8		83.6	85.0			80.8	75.6				$12,239	$285	$11,954
ADM Middle School	Public	7-8	801 Nile Kinnick Dr. S.	Adel	50003	Dallas County	Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 993-3490	352	25	14.1	20.2%	312 (88.6%)	4 (1.1%)	18 (5.1%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.0%)	84.5	17^th of 344 public middle schools	95.1%		69.9	86^th of 337 public middle schools	74.5%	69			94.3	92.4			86.1	86.4		86.4	$10,460	$110	$10,351
Waukee Middle School	Public	6-8	905 S. Warrior Lane	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5177	867	65	13.3	16.0%	663 (76.5%)	42 (4.8%)	57 (6.6%)	53 (6.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	51 (5.9%)	81.4	28^th of 344 public middle schools	91.9%		77.7	46^th of 337 public middle schools	86.4%	18		87.4	89.1	93.4		89.2	84.5	84.9		81.1	$11,676	$209	$11,466
Trailridge School	Public	6-8	1455 NW Douglas Parkway	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 987-5161	754	37	20.4	12.1%	565 (74.9%)	50 (6.6%)	47 (6.2%)	48 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.8%)	74.9	57^th of 344 public middle schools	83.4%		86.2	15^th of 337 public middle schools	95.5%	42		84.0	84.5	87.6		84.8	82.5	83.6		80.1
Earlham Middle School	Public	6-8	535 N Chestnut Ave	Earlham	50072	Madison County	Earlham Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 758-2214	142	8	18.2	13.4%	134 (94.4%)	1 (0.7%)	4 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	65.5	115^th of 344 public middle schools	66.6%		63	128^th of 337 public middle schools	62.0%	13		81.8	75.9	87.2		84.1	81.5	81.6		71.1	$13,748	$102	$13,646
Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School	Public	5-6	1400 Vine Street	Dallas Center	50063	Dallas County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 992-4343	586	43	13.6	19.3%	492 (84.0%)	37 (6.3%)	25 (4.3%)	6 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (4.3%)								(n/a)	88.4	87.0			80.6	88.5			86.4		$11,420	$262	$11,159
Indian Hills Junior High School	Public	7-8	9401 Indian Hills Dr	Clive	50325	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4700	661	52	12.7	51.9%	334 (50.5%)	70 (10.6%)	159 (24.1%)	52 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (7.0%)	65.2	118^th of 344 public middle schools	65.7%		59.8	149^th of 337 public middle schools	55.8%	31			84.4	83.1			81.0	80.1		74.0	$15,125	$193	$14,931
Stilwell Junior High School	Public	7-8	1601 Vine St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6000	645	48	13.4	47.0%	385 (59.7%)	80 (12.4%)	104 (16.1%)	28 (4.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.3%)	43.3	237^th of 344 public middle schools	31.1%		52.1	189^th of 337 public middle schools	43.9%	48			79.5	75.1			73.2	73.5		64.2	$15,102	$192	$14,909

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Meter Middle School

Is Van Meter Middle School a good school?

Yes! Van Meter Middle School is one of the best middle schools in the state. It ranks 6^th of 344 Iowa middle schools.

What district is Van Meter Middle School in?

Van Meter Community School District

What high school do graduates of Van Meter Middle School attend?

Students who attend Van Meter Middle School usually go on to attend Van Meter High School

What is the racial makeup of Van Meter Middle School?

Students at Van Meter Middle School are 94% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Van Meter Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 252 students attended Van Meter Middle School.

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Schools in Van Meter, IA

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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.