District guide
Des Moines Independent Comm School District public schools
Parent-focused district context for Polk County, IA: school list, grade pathway, enrollment scale, profile links, and the local checks to make before using the district in a housing decision.
Direct answer for parents
What Des Moines Independent Comm School District tells you before choosing a home
Des Moines Independent Comm School District is listed with 59 public schools and 30,278 reported students in the current NCES file. Treat this as a district-level research page: it helps you understand scale, grade coverage, and school records, but it does not confirm the school assigned to a specific address.
The current district file lists 38 primary, 10 middle, 6 high, 5 other schools. Verify transition grades, feeder patterns, transfer policies, and program eligibility with the district.
59 district schools are associated with Polk County in the current file, about 45% of listed county schools. Confirm address-level assignment locally.
Grade pathway
District school mix by level
Use this section to separate elementary, middle, high, and other school records before comparing commute, programs, and assignment rules.
38
13,544 reported students
10
5,939 reported students
6
9,546 reported students
5
1,249 reported students
Parent checks for Des Moines Independent Comm School District
These are the local questions that matter after the public data narrows the field.
Confirm the assigned school
Use official attendance-zone or address lookup tools before assuming a school serves a home.
Check transition grades
Elementary choices can split into different middle or high school paths, especially in large districts.
Verify choice-program rules
Charter, magnet, virtual, and transfer options can require applications, lotteries, or eligibility checks.
Compare similar schools
Compare schools at the same level before treating enrollment, grade span, or school type as a quality signal.
School records
Largest listed schools in Des Moines Independent Comm School District
Sorted by reported enrollment. Profile links appear where SchoolsByCounty has generated an individual school page; listed-only records still preserve NCES grade, type, city, and enrollment fields.
| School | Level | Grades | City | Enrollment | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln High School Regular | High | 9–12 | Des Moines | 2,403 | Profile |
| East High School Regular | High | 9–12 | Des Moines | 2,040 | Profile |
| Roosevelt High School Regular | High | 9–12 | Des Moines | 1,986 | Profile |
| North High School Regular | High | 9–12 | Des Moines | 1,458 | Profile |
| Hoover High School Regular | High | 9–12 | Des Moines | 991 | Profile |
| Weeks Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 684 | Listed only |
| Virtual Campus Regular | High | 6–12 | Des Moines | 668 | Listed only |
| Meredith Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 664 | Listed only |
| Harding Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 655 | Listed only |
| McCombs Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 654 | Listed only |
| Merrill Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 634 | Listed only |
| Brubaker Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 622 | Listed only |
| Brody Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 603 | Listed only |
| Hiatt Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 529 | Listed only |
| Goodrell Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 523 | Listed only |
| Studebaker Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 523 | Listed only |
| Callanan Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 507 | Listed only |
| Capitol View Elementary School Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Des Moines | 505 | Listed only |
| River Woods Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 496 | Listed only |
| Hoyt Middle School Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Des Moines | 486 | Listed only |
| Garton Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 455 | Listed only |
| Morris Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 444 | Listed only |
| South Union Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 442 | Listed only |
| Perkins Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 438 | Listed only |
| Carver Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 423 | Listed only |
| Monroe Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 423 | Listed only |
| Moulton Elementary School Regular | Primary | PK–5 | Des Moines | 420 | Listed only |
| Samuelson Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 412 | Listed only |
| Hubbell Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 407 | Listed only |
| Jackson Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 406 | Listed only |
| Mitchell Early Childhood Center Regular | Other | PK | Des Moines | 395 | Listed only |
| Cowles Elementary School Regular | Primary | PK–8 | Des Moines | 391 | Listed only |
| Park Ave Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 378 | Listed only |
| Lovejoy Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 365 | Listed only |
| Jefferson Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 338 | Listed only |
| Hanawalt Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 333 | Listed only |
| Cattell Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 322 | Listed only |
| Oak Park Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 313 | Listed only |
| Stowe Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 313 | Listed only |
| Hillis Elementary School Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Des Moines | 305 | Listed only |
Communities in the district file
NCES city fields are directory fields, not attendance boundaries. Use them to orient the district footprint, then verify the exact home-to-school assignment.
County coverage
Some districts can include records associated with more than one county. The route is anchored to the district's primary county record in the current data.
Des Moines Independent Comm School District FAQ
What schools are included for Des Moines Independent Comm School District?
Des Moines Independent Comm School District includes 59 public schools in the current NCES district file. The current district file lists 38 primary, 10 middle, 6 high, 5 other schools.
Does this Des Moines Independent Comm School District page show exact attendance zones?
No. SchoolsByCounty publishes district and school records from public data. Attendance boundaries, transportation, transfers, magnet eligibility, and charter rules must be confirmed with Des Moines Independent Comm School District or local assignment tools.
Is Des Moines Independent Comm School District ranked as the best district in Polk County?
No. This is a district guide, not a recommendation or ranking. Use it to understand the district's listed schools, grade spans, enrollment scale, and available school profiles before verifying local fit.
How many Des Moines Independent Comm School District schools have detailed profiles?
5 schools in this district currently link to detailed SchoolsByCounty profiles. Other schools remain listed with NCES directory fields.
Do charter, magnet, or virtual flags mean my student can enroll in Des Moines Independent Comm School District?
No. Charter, magnet, and virtual flags are NCES record fields. They do not confirm admission eligibility, lottery access, transfer approval, or program availability for a specific address.
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.