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GrimesIACommuntyComplexPhoto: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0
A
Schools in Grimes · Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District

Grimes’s public schools outscore 88% of Iowa districts

In Grimes, 76% of tested students are proficient in math, above the Iowa average (64%). The grade covers the public school district serving Grimes, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Iowa, not nationally.

#15of 140 Iowa townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From Iowa state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
82%
▲ 12 pts vs IA 70%
2021–22
Math proficiency
76%
▲ 12 pts vs IA 64%
2021–22
Graduate on time
97%
▲ 10 pts vs IA 88%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$11.8K
▼ 14% vs IA $13.7K
FY2024
Students per teacher
15.1
IA 14.1 · larger classes
Schools in town
5
2,988 students on the public path
In brief

Grimes’s schools, in brief

Against towns with similar incomes

Among the 125 Iowa towns with household incomes within a quarter of Grimes’s, its schools beat 75%, lower than their 88% against all the state’s districts. The grade ↓

Above the state on both counts

Reading proficiency is 82% and math 76% in spring 2022, against 70% and 64% statewide; 97% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 88%. Test scores ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $11,805 per student, against $13,713 across Iowa (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Three elementary schools, then one middle and one high school

Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 7 the district’s path is DC-G Oak View, then Dallas Center-Grimes High School. Enrollment is up 8% since 2020–21. See the path ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Grimes’s grade

A Test scoresA− Graduation

A: better than 88% of Iowa school districts, #15 of 140 Iowa towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Iowa average; test scores are the stronger of the two.

Iowa school districts we grade (326)Better than 88%
Lower resultsHigher results
Iowa towns with similar household incomes (125)Better than 75%
A−AA fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 2,366 test results and a graduating class of 231 could put Grimes anywhere from A− to A. The tests are from spring 2022, when 100% of Grimes’s students in the tested grades sat them (2,368 in math, 2,365 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Grimes, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
K–43 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressA− to A+
7–8DC-G Oak ViewDallas Center-Grimes Community School DistrictA
9–12Dallas Center-Grimes High SchoolDallas Center-Grimes Community School DistrictA−

Grimes’s public schools are run by Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District, which also serves Dallas Center. Parts of Grimes (17% and 4% of its land) are served by Johnston and Urbandale instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Dallas Center-Grimes Community School DistrictGrades PK–12 · 7 schools · 3,743 students, up 8% since 2020–21 · 15.1 per teacher (IA 14.1)
$11,805IA $13,713 · FY2024
A
Test scores · 2021–22

Well above the state in reading

Reading82%
State average 69.7% · 2365 students tested
Math76%
State average 63.8% · 2368 students tested

Grimes vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the Iowa towns that share Grimes’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
GrimesADallas Center-Grimes
UrbandaleA−Urbandale PK–12 · Waukee PK–12
JohnstonAJohnston

Every school in Grimes

5 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Iowa’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Grimesby address
Heritage Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4
A
530 students17:1Rate it →
South Prairie Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–4
A−
436 students13:1Rate it →
North Ridge Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–4
A+
412 students15:1Rate it →
DC-G Oak View
Middle · Grades 7–8
A
537 students15:1Rate it →
Dallas Center-Grimes High School
High · Grades 9–12
A−
1,073 students17:1Rate it →

Questions about Grimes’s schools

Are Grimes’s schools good?

By Iowa’s own tests, yes: the public schools Grimes children attend outscore 88% of Iowa’s school districts on tests and graduation, an A Schools grade, #15 of 140 Iowa towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 75%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Grimes in?

Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 3,743 students in 7 schools (2024–25). Small parts of Grimes are served by Johnston and Urbandale.

Where do Grimes kids go to high school?

Dallas Center-Grimes High School, with 1,073 students; its own test results earn an A−.

What is Grimes’s graduation rate?

97% of the class of 2023 in Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District graduated in four years, against 88% across Iowa.

How much does Grimes spend per student?

$11,805 in Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District (FY2024), against $13,713 across Iowa. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Parents talk

What Grimes families are saying about school.

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Looking for colleges? Colleges near Grimes → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Iowa. Stars are from neighbors.