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D

Cattell Elementary School

PublicElementaryGrades K–5

3101 E 12th St, Des Moines, IA 50316 · (515) 242-8403 · Part of Des Moines Independent Community School District

Des Moines’ School Grade D− better than 2% of Iowa school districts

Students
314
Students per teacher
12:1
Free or reduced lunch
86%
Setting
City
Grades
K–5
The gist

What stands out about Cattell Elementary School

  • Its own letter, D: reading and math results near the bottom of Iowa’s public schools
  • Math proficiency 22 pts below the state
  • Reading / language arts 26 pts below the state
  • Small classes: 12 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 20.1% since 2020–21
  • Next stop for Des Moines kids: 10 middle schools

On the path

Where Des Moines kids come from and go next. The whole path →

K–5Cattell Elementary SchoolYou are here
6–810 middle schoolsDepends on your address

Test scores

2020–21
Math proficiency42%
State average 64.2%
Reading / language arts42%
State average 67.8%

Its own letter, D, places these results among Iowa’s 1,177 public schools with results. Source: EDFacts via Urban Institute Education Data Portal (SY2020-21).

3101 E 12th St, Des Moines

Students

Enrollment by grade
Kindergarten46
Grade 146
Grade 248
Grade 352
Grade 454
Grade 568
Enrollment over time
393’20
367’21
322’22
308’23
314’24

Down 20.1% since 2020–21.

Who goes here
Hispanic 32%White 28%Black 21%Asian 9%Two or more races 9%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

As reported to NCES, share of students with a reported race or ethnicity.

Parents talk

Questions and answers about Cattell Elementary School from Des Moines families.

Other schools in Des Moines Independent Community School District

The district →

School facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), 2024–2025 school year. Test scores: EDFacts via Urban Institute Education Data Portal (SY2020-21). A school’s letter is our own summary of its reading and math results against Iowa’s other public schools; Des Moines’s School Grade is built from its districts’ results. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.