schools in the 2023–24 NCES record
Public school district or agency · Official NCES ID 1908970
Des Moines Independent Community School District
Des Moines, IA
Students30,277
Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.
students enrolled in 2023–24
latest nationwide attendance file
current spending per student
What is available here?
Broad coverage8 of 8 core data areas available
Every available section is tied to this district’s official NCES ID. The year shown is the year the data describes, not the date we added it.
✓Academic results2023Current release✓Attendance2022–23Current release✓Spending2022–23Current release✓Enrollment & staffing2023–24Current release✓Student support2021–22Older federal release✓Safety & civil rights2021–22Older federal release✓Community context2023Current release✓Programs & opportunities2021–22Older federal release
Five things to know
The district at a glance
Open any question to see the supporting numbers, comparison and reporting year.
01Quick answer
Explore outcomes by student group →Are students making academic progress?
3 years of resultsLatest research estimate: 2023See the details →02Quick answerAre students missing too much school?
45.7% chronically absent2022–23 · 28,977 students measuredSee the details →03Quick answerIs the district improving?
Declined overallCompare the earliest and latest available yearsSee the details →04Quick answerHow much does the district spend?
$15,286current spending per studentSee the details →05Quick answerDoes the district have enough support staff?
326:1 counselor ratioStudents per counselor in the 2023–24 federal staffing fileSee the details →Student outcomes
How are students doing?
Four views answer different questions. State test percentages show grade-level expectations; the national research trend shows change over time; graduation and dropout measures describe high-school outcomes.
Are results improving over time?
22ndlatest estimated national standing
201920222023
7 percentile points lower than 2019.
How many high-school students left during the year?
6.5%of students enrolled in grades 9–12
District6.5%
IA2.7%
U.S.2.3%
Lower is better. This annual rate is not the opposite of the graduation rate because the measures use different students and time periods.
State proficiency standards differ and should not be used for cross-state rankings. Graduation ranges and privacy protections are preserved exactly. The academic trend uses Stanford Education Data Archive estimates and is not a state proficiency percentage.
Graduation · 2022–23
How many students graduated within four years?
Loading the district's official graduation record…
What has changed?
The district’s recent direction
Each card uses its own clearly labeled period. Measures from different sources are never blended.
Lower than the first comparable year.
2019–2023 · Stanford research estimateLower than the first year. Fewer students were chronically absent.
2020–21–2022–23Student enrollment declined.
2021–22 to 2023–24 · NCESSpending per student increased before adjusting for inflation.
FY 2022 to FY 2023 · NCES F-33Enrollment 2023–24Finance 2022–23Attendance 2022–23State tests 2024–25 where published
Enrollment · 2023–24
Who attends this district?
Pre-K1,710 students
5.6%Kindergarten–grade 513,170 students
43.5%Grades 6–85,975 students
19.7%Grades 9–129,422 students
31.1%See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten1,710
Kindergarten2,136
Grade 12,303
Grade 22,265
Grade 32,087
Grade 42,226
Grade 52,153
Grade 61,967
Grade 72,043
Grade 81,965
Grade 92,196
Grade 102,335
Grade 112,349
Grade 122,542
Students by race and ethnicity
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.
Early learning · 2023–24
How much public pre-K is reported?
Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment
Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.
Current staffing · 2023–24
How many staff members support students?
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers73.7 FTE
Kindergarten teachers190.9 FTE
Elementary teachers1,313.6 FTE
Secondary teachers491.1 FTE
Instructional coordinators294.6 FTE
District administrators37.9 FTE
District administrative support3.1 FTE
School administrative support1 FTE
Library and media support6 FTE
Other support staff21.4 FTE
Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.
High-school outcomes · 2023–24
How many students completed school or dropped out?
Regular diplomas among completers
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12
Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.
Teachers and staff
Teacher workforce
Loading the district’s workforce comparison…
Community context · 2024
How many school-age children live in poverty?
This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.
District geography · 2024–25
What area does this district cover?
NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.
Loading the official district boundary…
Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.
Comparable districts
Districts serving a similar student population
These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in IA receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.
Amarillo Independent School DistrictAmarillo, TX
- Students
- 29,729
- Community poverty
- 25.3%
- English learners
- 16.1%
- Special education
- 14.2%
- Students
- 29,866
- Community poverty
- 27.3%
- English learners
- 17.0%
- Special education
- 20.8%
- Students
- 28,506
- Community poverty
- 22.4%
- English learners
- 20.5%
- Special education
- 16.1%
- Students
- 30,253
- Community poverty
- 14.1%
- English learners
- 7.4%
- Special education
- 13.3%
- Students
- 28,893
- Community poverty
- 21.7%
- English learners
- 15.5%
- Special education
- 12.4%
District, state and country
How does this district compare?
State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.
MeasureDistrictIAUnited States
Academic standing2023Needs attention
22nd percentile47th percentile45th percentileThis district is 25 percentile points lower than the state figure and 23 percentile points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students chronically absent2022–23Needs attention
45.7%24.7%27.2%This district is 21.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 18.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Revenue per studentFY 2023Context only
$18,990$17,383$19,748This district is $1,607 per student higher than the state figure and $758 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$15,286$13,078$15,908This district is $2,208 per student higher than the state figure and $622 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Capital outlay per studentFY 2023Context only
$1,717$2,677$2,035This district is $960 per student lower than the state figure and $318 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Equipment spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$507$479$342This district is $28 per student higher than the state figure and $165 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Special-education spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$2,786$1,945$1,855This district is $841 per student higher than the state figure and $931 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Salaries per studentFY 2023Context only
$9,128$8,057$8,849This district is $1,071 per student higher than the state figure and $279 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Benefits per studentFY 2023Context only
$4,045$2,701$3,859This district is $1,344 per student higher than the state figure and $186 per student higher than the U.S. figure.
Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023Context only
$3,838$10,269$12,224This district is $6,431 per student lower than the state figure and $8,386 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Debt retired per studentFY 2023Context only
$656$960$907This district is $304 per student lower than the state figure and $251 per student lower than the U.S. figure.
Students per teacher2023–24Needs attention
15:114:115:1This district is 1.0 students per teacher higher than the state figure and about the same as the U.S. figure.
Students per counselor2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
326:1349:1373:1This district is 23 students per counselor lower than the state figure and 47 students per counselor lower than the U.S. figure.
District staff per 1,000 students2023–24Needs attention
97.3146.7138.8This district is 49.4 staff per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 41.5 staff per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24Needs attention
1.927.818.1This district is 25.9 aides per 1,000 students lower than the state figure and 16.2 aides per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24Mixed comparison
0.50.00.9This district is 0.5 psychologists per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 0.4 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.
Regular diplomas among completers2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
99.6%99.5%99.0%This district is 0.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.6 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24Needs attention
6.5%2.7%2.3%This district is 3.8 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24Context only
5.6%5.8%2.9%This district is 0.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 2.7 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
24.1%7.7%11.8%This district is 16.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 12.3 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
16.0%12.9%13.8%This district is 3.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 2.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
2.3%2.8%4.0%This district is 0.5 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
99.6%100.0%96.6%This district is 0.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 3.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24Context only
-1.7%+0.9%+0.2%This district is 2.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.9 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district recordsContext only
77.6%40.1%49.4%This district is 37.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 28.2 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students without disabilities2021–22 · matched enrollmentNeeds attention
6.1%5.1%4.6%This district is 1.0 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.5 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollmentNeeds attention
13.8%13.2%9.4%This district is 0.6 percentage points higher than the state figure and 4.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Out-of-school suspension rate · students with Section 504 plans2021–22 · matched enrollmentStronger than benchmarks
0.0%1.6%6.8%This district is 1.6 percentage points lower than the state figure and 6.8 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollmentContext only
3.0%6.2%4.5%This district is 3.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 1.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.
School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimateNeeds attention
21.3%12.1%14.4%This district is 9.2 percentage points higher than the state figure and 6.9 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.
Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot
How many students may need specialized support?
Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.
24.1%Students learning English7,108 students · 55 of 55 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
16.0%Students receiving IDEA special-education services4,729 students · 55 of 55 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
2.3%Students with Section 504 plans645 students · 51 of 55 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
4.4%English learners also receiving IDEA services1,307 students · 55 of 55 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.
Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22
What did the district report about teachers and preschool?
Teacher certification comparison
U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.
District makeup
What kinds of schools are in the district?
School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.
District finances
How is the district funded, and how does it spend?
Sources of funds
Where the money comes from
Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.
Uses of funds
Where the money goes
Annual spending for each enrolled student.
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
How operating money was used
People costs
Equipment, buildings and debt
Selected federal program revenue
What changed since FY 2022
FY 2022$14,308
→FY 2023$15,286+6.8% year over year
FY 2022$1,068
→FY 2023$1,717+60.8% year over year
FY 2022$4,233
→FY 2023$3,838-9.3% year over year
Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.
Attendance
How has chronic absence changed?
19,376 of 30,236 students
14,755 of 29,478 students
13,235 of 28,977 students
Specialized support and security · 2021–22
What specialized roles were reported?
Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.
Learning opportunities
What do district schools offer?
Algebra I7 reporting schools
86%
Calculus7 reporting schools
57%
Biology7 reporting schools
86%
Chemistry7 reporting schools
86%
Physics7 reporting schools
86%
Computer science7 reporting schools
86%
Advanced Placement7 reporting schools
71%
Dual enrollment7 reporting schools
71%
Gifted programs59 reporting schools
92%
International Baccalaureate7 reporting schools
14%
Athletics6 reporting schools
83%
Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.
Safety and discipline
What was reported across district schools?
2,070Out-of-school suspensions55 reporting schoolsSee schools →613In-school suspensions55 reporting schoolsSee schools →79Law-enforcement referrals55 reporting schoolsSee schools →9School-related arrests55 reporting schoolsSee schools →101Physical restraint20 reporting schoolsSee schools →47Seclusion11 reporting schoolsSee schools →
Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.
Technology and safety · 2021–22
What access and incident data is available?
Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.
8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.
See all sources →Keep exploring
Put this district in context
Compare the same measures across the state, explore a parent question, or read a practical guide.