Polk County Education: 74,753 students enrolled in 2023-24 school year

McKenzie Snow, Director of Iowa Department of Education | https://educate.iowa.gov/about

By Des Moines Sun

Mar 17, 2025

There were 74,753 students enrolled in Polk County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 1.3% less than the previous year, according to the Iowa Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed at the time, 51.4% identified as male, 48.5% as female, and 0.1% identified themselves as non-binary or did not specify their gender.

Data also showed that white students made up 55.8% of the student body, the largest percentage in Polk County schools, followed by Hispanic students with 18.9%, 12.9% Black, 6.3% multiracial, 5.7% Asian, 0.3% Native American and 0.2% Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

Lincoln High School had the highest enrollment among Polk County’s 125 schools in the 2023-24 school year, welcoming 2,441 students.

Public school enrollment in Iowa remained relatively stable in the 2024-25 school year, with 480,665 students, a slight decrease of 0.63% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, enrollment in accredited nonpublic schools grew by nearly 10%, reaching 39,356 students, up from 36,195. This increase was partially driven by the Students First Education Savings (ESA) program, with 27,866 students utilizing ESAs at nonpublic schools.

Enrollment in Polk County Schools Over 6 Years

Breakdown of Student Enrollment in Polk County

Rank	School name	School district	Total enrollment in 2022-23	Total enrollment in 2023-24	% change
1	Lincoln High School	Des Moines Independent Comm	2,403	2,441	1.6%
2	Southeast Polk High School	Southeast Polk Comm	2,353	2,294	-2.5%
3	Valley High School	West Des Moines Comm	2,152	2,111	-1.9%
4	Roosevelt High School	Des Moines Independent Comm	1,986	2,039	2.7%
5	East High School	Des Moines Independent Comm	2,040	2,014	-1.3%
6	Johnston Senior High School	Johnston Comm	1,790	1,771	-1.1%
7	North High School	Des Moines Independent Comm	1,458	1,514	3.8%
8	Ankeny Centennial High School	Ankeny Comm	1,443	1,466	1.6%
9	Ankeny High School	Ankeny Comm	1,347	1,346	-0.1%
10	Urbandale High School	Urbandale Comm	1,347	1,310	-2.7%
11	Johnston Middle School	Johnston Comm	1,166	1,200	2.9%
12	Summit Middle School	Johnston Comm	1,112	1,135	2.1%
13	Southeast Polk Junior High School	Southeast Polk Comm	1,088	1,106	1.7%
14	Northview Middle School	Ankeny Comm	1,065	1,021	-4.1%
15	Prairie Ridge Middle School	Ankeny Comm	1,025	1,008	-1.7%
16	Hoover High School	Des Moines Independent Comm	991	923	-6.9%
17	Southview Middle School	Ankeny Comm	896	881	-1.7%
18	Parkview Middle School	Ankeny Comm	867	875	0.9%
19	Urbandale Middle School	Urbandale Comm	894	869	-2.8%
20	Bondurant-Farrar High School	Bondurant-Farrar Comm	761	804	5.7%
21	Ashland Ridge Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	759	768	1.2%
22	Valley Southwoods	West Des Moines Comm	687	744	8.3%
23	Rock Creek Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	732	733	0.1%
24	Westridge Elementary School	West Des Moines Comm	700	710	1.4%
25	Horizon Elementary School	Johnston Comm	647	673	4%
26	Weeks Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	684	668	-2.3%
27	Timber Ridge Elementary School	Johnston Comm	662	663	0.2%
28	Meredith Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	664	653	-1.7%
28	Indian Hills Junior High School	West Des Moines Comm	696	653	-6.2%
30	Merrill Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	634	651	2.7%
31	North Polk High School	North Polk Comm	647	647	0%
32	McCombs Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	654	644	-1.5%
32	Stilwell Junior High School	West Des Moines Comm	684	644	-5.8%
34	Harding Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	655	634	-3.2%
35	Northeast Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	655	631	-3.7%
36	Henry a Wallace Elementary School	Johnston Comm	660	622	-5.8%
37	Brubaker Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	622	618	-0.6%
38	Westwood Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	642	615	-4.2%
38	Clay Elementary School	Southeast Polk Comm	587	615	4.8%
40	Heritage Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	610	599	-1.8%
41	Brody Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	603	598	-0.8%
42	Lawson Elementary School	Johnston Comm	607	595	-2%
43	Jordan Creek Elementary School	West Des Moines Comm	597	591	-1%
44	Olmsted Elementary School	Urbandale Comm	583	566	-2.9%
45	Beaver Creek Elementary School	Johnston Comm	571	564	-1.2%
46	Southeast Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	520	557	7.1%
47	Studebaker Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	523	553	5.7%
48	Hillside Elementary School	West Des Moines Comm	529	546	3.2%
49	Spring Creek - 6th Grade	Southeast Polk Comm	535	544	1.7%
50	Callanan Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	507	543	7.1%
51	Prairie Trail Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	571	542	-5.1%
51	Western Hills Elementary School	West Des Moines Comm	548	542	-1.1%
53	Crossroads Park Elementary School	West Des Moines Comm	521	539	3.5%
54	Anderson Elementary School	Bondurant-Farrar Comm	529	522	-1.3%
55	Fairmeadows Elementary School	West Des Moines Comm	538	514	-4.5%
55	Crocker Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	500	514	2.8%
57	Capitol View Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	489	509	4.1%
58	River Woods Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	496	505	1.8%
59	Morris Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	444	498	12.2%
60	Crestview School of Inquiry	West Des Moines Comm	512	496	-3.1%
61	North Polk Middle School	North Polk Comm	455	493	8.4%
61	Goodrell Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	523	493	-5.7%
63	Willowbrook Elementary School	Southeast Polk Comm	470	490	4.3%
64	Hoyt Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	486	486	0%
65	Clive Learning Academy	West Des Moines Comm	496	483	-2.6%
66	Morris Elementary School	Bondurant-Farrar Comm	482	475	-1.5%
67	Cornell Elementary School	Saydel Comm	456	472	3.5%
68	Hiatt Middle School	Des Moines Independent Comm	529	466	-11.9%
69	South Prairie Elementary School	Dallas Center-Grimes Comm	452	455	0.7%
70	Webster Elementary School	Urbandale Comm	391	453	15.9%
71	Perkins Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	438	444	1.4%
72	Four Mile Elementary School	Southeast Polk Comm	438	440	0.5%
72	Saydel High School	Saydel Comm	451	440	-2.4%
74	Jackson Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	406	435	7.1%
75	Moulton Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	404	434	7.4%
76	Garton Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	455	429	-5.7%
77	Bondurant - Farrar Intermediate School	Bondurant-Farrar Comm	380	428	12.6%
78	South Union Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	442	424	-4.1%
79	North Ridge Elementary School	Dallas Center-Grimes Comm	427	423	-0.9%
80	East Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	413	412	-0.2%
80	Lovejoy Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	365	412	12.9%
82	Bondurant-Farrar Junior High School	Bondurant-Farrar Comm	440	408	-7.3%
82	Park Ave Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	378	408	7.9%
84	Delaware Elementary School	Southeast Polk Comm	361	395	9.4%
85	Altoona Elementary School	Southeast Polk Comm	386	392	1.6%
86	Virtual Campus	Des Moines Independent Comm	668	387	-42.1%
87	Samuelson Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	412	384	-6.8%
88	Hubbell Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	407	383	-5.9%
89	Carver Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	423	379	-10.4%
90	Monroe Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	423	377	-10.9%
91	Woodside Middle School	Saydel Comm	359	376	4.7%
92	Centennial Elementary School	Southeast Polk Comm	373	372	-0.3%
93	North Polk West Elementary School	North Polk Comm	364	356	-2.2%
94	Heritage Elementary School	Dallas Center-Grimes Comm	360	350	-2.8%
95	Northwest Elementary School	Ankeny Comm	354	346	-2.3%
95	North Polk Central Elementary School	North Polk Comm	314	346	10.2%
97	Big Creek Elementary School	North Polk Comm	354	337	-4.8%
98	Cowles Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	314	320	1.9%
99	Hanawalt Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	333	317	-4.8%
100	Stowe Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	313	311	-0.6%
101	Oak Park	Des Moines Independent Comm	313	309	-1.3%
102	Cattell Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	322	308	-4.3%
103	Jefferson Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	338	306	-9.5%
104	Howe Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	297	303	2%
105	Moore Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	296	298	0.7%
106	Hillis Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	305	291	-4.6%
107	Edmunds Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	268	286	6.7%
108	Findley Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	304	284	-6.6%
109	Willard Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	286	282	-1.4%
110	King Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	267	273	2.2%
111	Windsor Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	296	267	-9.8%
112	Phillips Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	258	254	-1.6%
113	McKinley Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	269	253	-5.9%
114	Greenwood Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	272	249	-8.5%
114	Runnells Elementary School	Southeast Polk Comm	245	249	1.6%
116	Madison Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	243	247	1.6%
117	Rolling Green Elementary School	Urbandale Comm	252	244	-3.2%
117	Wright Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	273	244	-10.6%
119	Downtown School	Des Moines Independent Comm	243	235	-3.3%
120	Mitchellville Elementary School	Southeast Polk Comm	223	215	-3.6%
121	Pleasant Hill Elementary School	Des Moines Independent Comm	213	211	-0.9%
122	Walnut Street School	Des Moines Independent Comm	229	207	-9.6%
123	Walnut Creek Campus	West Des Moines Comm	147	165	12.2%
124	Ruby Van Meter	Des Moines Independent Comm	113	112	-0.9%
125	Horizon Science Academy Des Moines	Horizon Science Academy	0	79