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D

Hillis Elementary School

PublicElementaryGrades K–5

2401 56th St, Des Moines, IA 50310 · (515) 242-8412 · Part of Des Moines Independent Community School District

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

Students
279
Students per teacher
11:1
Free or reduced lunch
76%
Setting
City
Grades
K–5
The gist

What stands out about Hillis Elementary School

  • Its own letter, D: reading and math results near the bottom of Iowa’s public schools
  • Math proficiency 17 pts below the state
  • Reading / language arts 26 pts below the state
  • Small classes: 11 students per teacher
  • Enrollment down 10.9% 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–5Hillis Elementary SchoolYou are here
6–810 middle schoolsDepends on your address

Test scores

2020–21
Math proficiency47%
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).

2401 56th St, Des Moines

Students

Enrollment by grade
Kindergarten37
Grade 140
Grade 256
Grade 347
Grade 452
Grade 547
Enrollment over time
313’20
292’21
305’22
291’23
279’24

Down 10.9% since 2020–21.

Who goes here
White 36%Hispanic 25%Black 22%Asian 10%Two or more races 7%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%

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

Parents talk

Questions and answers about Hillis 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.