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South Middle School

Q: Is South Middle School a good school?

South Middle School ranks 80 th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-7

80^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 77% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

South Middle School is a public middle school located in Waukee, Iowa, serving 913 students in grades 6-7. It is part of the Waukee Community School District, which is ranked 65 out of 313 school districts in Iowa and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Middle School consistently performs well on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) exams, with a high percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the state average. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, 83.6% of 6th graders and 85% of 7th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 72.8% and 74.9%, respectively. The school has also maintained a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 25% of Iowa middle schools in recent years. However, when compared to other nearby middle schools within the Waukee Community School District, such as Trailridge School and Waukee Middle School, South Middle School has slightly lower proficiency rates in some subject areas.

South Middle School's spending per student ($12,239 in 2018-2019) is higher than the state average, which may contribute to its strong academic performance. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14 to 14.9 in recent years. While South Middle School has maintained a strong overall performance, its ranking and proficiency rates have fluctuated over the years, suggesting the need for continuous monitoring and improvement efforts to maintain its high standards.

1,092

Students ?

14.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,239

Per pupil spending ?

25.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2350 SE LA Grant Parkway
Waukee, IA 50263

(515) 987-3222

District: Waukee Community School District

Students who attend South Middle School usually attend:

High:

Waukee High School

Feeder schools for South Middle School:

Elementary:	Brookview Elementary School
	Eason Elementary School
	Maple Grove Elementary School
	Woodland Hills Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.3%

Asian:

10.9%

African American:

10.3%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare South Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2015 → 77th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (81% vs 73% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Iowa middle schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school81%

District avg84%

Iowa avg73%

80^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 23%▼ down 18 pts since 2015

From top 5% (2015) to top 23% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Middle Schools in the Waukee Community School District

65^th of 313Waukee 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	70.2	80 of 344	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	69.7	88 of 337	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	63.0	123 of 334	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	73.1	76 of 337	77.4%	★★★★☆
2021	79.0	46 of 324	85.8%	★★★★☆
2019	84.5	21 of 342	93.9%	★★★★★
2018	78.1	40 of 318	87.4%	★★★★☆
2017	83.7	15 of 327	95.4%	★★★★★
2016	86.9	7 of 343	98.0%	★★★★★
2015	83.8	18 of 349	94.8%	★★★★★
2014	83.5	20 of 337	94.1%	★★★★★
2013	86.5	7 of 350	98.0%	★★★★★
2012	87.9	7 of 349	98.0%	★★★★★

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts84%+10 vs state

Mathematics78%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near South 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 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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
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
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
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
Dc-G Oak View	Public	7-8	1300 SW County Line Rd	Grimes	50111	Dallas County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-0105	537	35	15.1	20.5%	463 (86.2%)	27 (5.0%)	22 (4.1%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (2.8%)	81.5	26^th of 344 public middle schools	92.4%		79.6	39^th of 337 public middle schools	88.4%	13		89.7	89.0		84.6	88.2	85.2	$11,541	$246	$11,295
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
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
Urbandale Middle School	Public	6-8	7701 Aurora Avenue	Urbandale	50322	Polk County	Urbandale Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 457-6600	892	59	15.1	41.4%	565 (63.3%)	77 (8.6%)	136 (15.2%)	62 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	50 (5.6%)	43.1	240^th of 344 public middle schools	30.2%		49.3	201^st of 337 public middle schools	40.4%	39	71.4	71.4	85.0	68.6	67.2	74.1	70.2	$8,993	$119	$8,874
Summit Middle School	Public	6-7	9500 Windsor Parkway	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 986-0318	1,118	73	15.4	26.0%	747 (66.8%)	113 (10.1%)	80 (7.2%)	123 (11.0%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	48 (4.3%)	73.8	62^nd of 344 public middle schools	82.0%		68.9	96^th of 337 public middle schools	71.5%	34	83.4	83.3		83.7	80.2			$11,977	$474	$11,503

Frequently Asked Questions about South Middle School

Is South Middle School a good school?

South Middle School ranks 80^th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of South Middle School attend?

Students who attend South Middle School usually go on to attend Waukee High School

How many students attend South Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,092 students attended South Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of South Middle School?

Students at South Middle School are 62% White, 11% Asian, 10% African American, 8% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

What district is South Middle School in?

Waukee 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.