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D−

North High School

PublicHighGrades 9–12

501 Holcomb Ave, Des Moines, IA 50313 · (515) 242-7200 · Part of Des Moines Independent Community School District

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

Students
1,428
Students per teacher
21:1
Free or reduced lunch
84%
Setting
City
Grades
9–12
The gist

What stands out about North High School

  • Its own letter, D−: reading and math results near the bottom of Iowa’s public schools
  • Math proficiency 31 pts below the state
  • Reading / language arts 23 pts below the state
  • Larger classes: 21 students per teacher

On the path

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

6–810 middle schoolsDepends on your address
9–12North High SchoolYou are here

Test scores

2020–21
Math proficiency33%
State average 64.2%
Reading / language arts45%
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).

501 Holcomb Ave, Des Moines

Students

Enrollment by grade
Grade 9324
Grade 10352
Grade 11336
Grade 12416
Enrollment over time
1,497’20
1,433’21
1,458’22
1,514’23
1,428’24

Down 4.6% since 2020–21.

Who goes here
Hispanic 39%Black 24%White 19%Asian 11%Two or more races 6%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

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

Parents talk

Questions and answers about North High 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.