Johnston Comm School District, IA

Original Research by School Decision on Johnston Comm School District

Johnston Community School District, serving a broad swath of northwestern Polk County, is a public district that runs from prekindergarten through high school and draws families from the city of Johnston, along with parts of Grimes, Granger, Urbandale, and a small slice of Des Moines. The housing stock across these communities varies noticeably. Home values in Johnston itself cluster at a level meaningfully above the state median, while Grimes and Granger sit close to that same elevated range; parts of Urbandale and the Des Moines zip code included in the district bring a wider range, with some areas notably more affordable. Rents follow a similar pattern, with the district’s weighted average above the typical Iowa figure. The overall cost of entering this housing market is among the higher ones in the Des Moines metro, and the mix of communities means a buyer or renter has options from newer subdivisions to older, more established neighborhoods.

The district is large, with a student enrollment that makes it one of the bigger suburban systems in the county. The student body is predominantly white, but there is a visible Asian population and a substantial Black and Hispanic presence; smaller shares of students who identify as Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or two or more races round out the picture. The share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals was not reported in the data available, so a family looking to understand the economic diversity of the peer environment would want to ask the district directly.

On academic performance, the district stands out clearly. Proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science for grades three through eight all land well above the state average, and the district’s overall proficiency index across tested subjects sits in the top tier among Polk County’s districts. The district’s own publicly reported data show that these results have been rising over the past several years, with gains in all three subjects. Participation rates on the state assessments were high, so the scores reflect nearly the entire tested population. For a parent focused on core academic skill development through middle school, this is a strong signal.

The high school picture is not covered by the state assessment data available here, but the district brief points to a substantial expansion of concurrent enrollment and career and technical education offerings. Hundreds of high school students are taking college-level courses through a local community college at no cost to families, and a significant number earn a degree, diploma, or certificate before graduation. For a family weighing postsecondary readiness, these pathways are a concrete asset.

Chronic absenteeism, a measure that matters for engagement and school climate, was recently reduced to a level that puts the district among the best in the county. The drop was sizable, and the district’s rate now sits below the state average. That improvement, publicly reported by the district as the result of a sustained attendance initiative, suggests a responsive approach to a metric that can signal how well a school environment keeps students connected.

Per-pupil spending falls in the middle range, on the lower side, among Polk County districts. That aligns with the district’s profile as a large suburban system that delivers above-average outcomes without top-of-the-pack per-student spending. The data did not include information on discipline rates, staffing ratios, or special education and English learner counts, so a family with specific concerns about those areas would need to follow up with the district directly.

The district has a half dozen elementary schools, two middle schools, and one comprehensive high school. The absence of a major bond referendum or property tax change in recent years, as noted in the district brief, suggests a period of relative financial stability without large new capital commitments.

For a family looking at the Des Moines-area suburbs, Johnston Community School District presents a combination of strong academic proficiency, improving attendance, and expanding college and career pathways, all within a housing market that spans a range of prices across several distinct communities. The peer environment is diverse by race and ethnicity, though the full economic mix is unclear from the available data. A parent wanting deeper detail on special education services, disciplinary practices, or school-by-school climate would need to gather that from the district directly, as those fields were not included in the data reviewed here.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

7,480

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 8%

Black 11%

White 66%

Asian 10%

Two+ 5%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr 3

56%

87%

Gr 4

65%

92%

Gr 5

61%

85%

Gr 6

68%

90%

Gr 7

65%

90%

Gr 8

80%

91%

Gr 38

66%

89%

Math

Gr 3

68%

90%

Gr 4

59%

90%

Gr 5

67%

86%

Gr 6

71%

90%

Gr 7

62%

87%

Gr 8

71%

86%

Gr 38

66%

88%

Science

Gr 5

51%

81%

Gr 8

62%

80%

Gr 38

56%

81%

Schools in this District

8 schools are officially reported under this district.

Beaver Creek Elementary School

Lawson Elementary School

Horizon Elementary

Summit Middle School

Johnston Middle School

Johnston Senior High School

Timber Ridge Elementary

Henry A Wallace Elementary School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

1 grade reported

82%

Grades 3-8

English Language Arts

1 grade reported

83%

Grades 3-8

Science

1 grade reported

74%

Grades 3-8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$373,679

Year-over-year change+0.8%

Range across 6 ZIP codes$236K to $455K

vs. state typical1.59x

vs. national typical1.01x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (6 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
50131	Johnston	$399K	+0.7%	61.5%
50111	Grimes	$349K	+0.2%	17.9%
50109	Granger	$381K	+2.4%	9.2%
50322	Urbandale	$293K	+1.7%	6.8%
50310	Des Moines	$236K	+0.9%	4.6%
50323	Urbandale	$455K	-1.0%	0.0%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$1,350/mo

Year-over-year change+2.2%

Range across 5 ZIP codes$961 to $1,509/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (5 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
50131	Johnston	$1,375	+2.5%	61.5%
50111	Grimes	$1,469	+0.9%	17.9%
50322	Urbandale	$1,079	+1.4%	6.8%
50310	Des Moines	$961	+3.0%	4.6%
50323	Urbandale	$1,509	—	0.0%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,886/mo

Home price / national median income4.5x

Annual rent / national median income19.4%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$535/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$234,891 (+3.9% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.