Best Public Schools in Zip Code 50317

The 50317 zip code area in Iowa is home to 9 schools, including 7 elementary schools and 2 middle schools, spread across two different school districts - the Des Moines Independent Community School District and the Southeast Polk Community School District.

One standout school in the area is Delaware Elementary, which is part of the Southeast Polk district. Delaware Elementary has consistently high test scores, ranking in the top 25% of Iowa elementary schools over the past 3 years, with 83.6% of 3rd graders proficient or better in English Language Arts and 86.6% proficient or better in Mathematics, well above the state averages. In contrast, several elementary schools in the Des Moines district, such as Brubaker, Garton, Stowe, and Phillips, rank in the bottom 20% of Iowa elementary schools and have test scores well below the state averages.

Across all the schools in the 50317 zip code, there are concerning trends, such as high chronic absenteeism rates (21.6% on average) and very high rates of free and reduced lunch recipients (ranging from 46.1% at Delaware Elementary to over 80% at some Des Moines schools). These factors likely contribute to the academic challenges faced by many of the schools in the area, highlighting the need for a multi-faceted approach to improving educational outcomes.