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Hillside Elementary School

Q: Is Hillside Elementary School a good school?

Hillside Elementary School ranks 397 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

397^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Hillside Elementary School is a public elementary school in West Des Moines, Iowa, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 581 students. The school is part of the West Des Moines Community School District, which is ranked 216 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hillside Elementary has consistently higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to the district and state averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, Hillside had a 21.6% chronic absenteeism rate, while the district and state had 19.7% and 15.7%, respectively. Additionally, Hillside's test scores, as measured by the ISASP, are generally lower than the district and state averages. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts was 67.8% at Hillside, compared to 65.9% for the district and 67.9% for the state. Hillside also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, with 46.13% of its students eligible in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to the district average of 34.77% at Clive Learning Academy and 26.43% at Western Hills Elementary.

When comparing Hillside Elementary to other nearby schools within the West Des Moines Community School District, it performs relatively lower on key metrics such as test scores and chronic absenteeism rates. For example, Fairmeadows Elementary, located just 1.24 miles away, consistently outperforms Hillside on ISASP test scores across all grade levels and subjects. Additionally, Hillside Elementary's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past several years, from 334 out of 599 Iowa elementary schools in the 2015-2016 school year to 397 out of 576 in the 2024-2025 school year, suggesting that the school's performance may be declining relative to other schools in the state.

548

Students ?

11.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,221

Per pupil spending ?

71.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

713 8th St
West Des Moines, IA 50265

(515) 633-6200

District: West Des Moines Community School District

Students who attend Hillside Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Stilwell Junior High School
High:	Valley High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.1%

Hispanic:

25.7%

African American:

17.9%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Hillside Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 35th percentile in 2015 → 31st in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Science scores 17 pts below the Iowa average

!Near the bottom of West Des Moines Community School District's ranking

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school68%

District avg73%

Iowa avg72%

397^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 35% (2015) to bottom 31% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 8Elementary Schools in the West Des Moines Community School District

216^th of 313West Des Moines 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	40.7	397 of 576	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.8	463 of 557	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	450 of 565	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	40.2	394 of 574	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.4	403 of 567	28.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.6	448 of 603	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.3	391 of 567	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	38.1	422 of 574	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	54.2	334 of 599	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.4	402 of 616	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	59.4	288 of 603	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	48.6	393 of 624	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2012	49.1	395 of 626	36.9%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics72%~ state avg

English Language Arts69%-3 vs state

Science47%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hillside Elementary School

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
Hillside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	713 8th St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 633-6200	548	47	11.6	71.7%	247 (45.1%)	98 (17.9%)	141 (25.7%)	12 (2.2%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (8.4%)	40.7	397^th of 576 public elementary schools	31.1%		22.8	463^rd of 557 public elementary schools	16.9%	66	67.8	81.1	64.7	60.3			71.2	81.1	69.1	64.7			47.1		$14,221	$423	$13,798
Hanawalt Elementary	Public	K-5	225 56th Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8411	312	24	13.0	49.4%	173 (55.4%)	81 (26.0%)	42 (13.5%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.5%)	34.8	437^th of 576 public elementary schools	24.1%		50.3	325^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.7%	112	47.3	70.2	64.0				58.2	72.3	80.0				58.0		$14,934	$665	$14,269
Fairmeadows Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	807 23rd St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6500	542	34	15.8	43.5%	339 (62.5%)	50 (9.2%)	82 (15.1%)	27 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.9%)	52.4	311^th of 576 public elementary schools	46.0%		63.9	212^th of 557 public elementary schools	61.9%	99	75.7	77.8	72.1	80.0			73.0	72.8	62.3	81.3			49.2		$13,706	$194	$13,513
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
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
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
Hubbell Elementary	Public	K-5	800 42nd St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8414	362	24	14.8	42.8%	213 (58.8%)	57 (15.7%)	49 (13.5%)	7 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (9.9%)	44.2	375^th of 576 public elementary schools	34.9%		45.4	360^th of 557 public elementary schools	35.4%	15	67.2	76.7	67.2				70.7	66.7	70.5				60.7		$14,542	$654	$13,888
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	316 37th Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8410	293	20	14.6	46.4%	164 (56.0%)	49 (16.7%)	37 (12.6%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	34 (11.6%)	40.7	398^th of 576 public elementary schools	30.9%		45.1	364^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.6%	34	65.9	84.4	57.1				63.4	81.3	64.3				57.1		$16,236	$666	$15,571
Western Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	600 39th St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-5900	570	38	14.8	45.8%	279 (48.9%)	61 (10.7%)	160 (28.1%)	28 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (7.4%)	36.1	425^th of 576 public elementary schools	26.2%		50	328^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.1%	97	49.3	64.6	72.7	72.7			62.7	64.6	71.4	70.1			63.6		$14,254	$192	$14,062
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillside Elementary School

Is Hillside Elementary School a good school?

Hillside Elementary School ranks 397^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Hillside Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Stilwell Junior High School
High : Valley High School

What is the racial makeup of Hillside Elementary School?

Students at Hillside Elementary School are 45% White, 26% Hispanic, 18% African American, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Hillside Elementary School in?

West Des Moines Community School District

How many students attend Hillside Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 548 students attended Hillside 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.

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.