The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in English language arts. The lowest is 84% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Parkview Middle School
Parkview Middle School serves sixth and seventh graders in the Ankeny Community School District, a fast-growing suburban system north of Des Moines. The school sits in Ankeny, a city that has been one of Iowa's fastest-growing communities for years, with a family-oriented, suburban character and significant commercial development along Interstate 35 and U.S. Route 69. The district has been adding hundreds of new students annually for over a decade and has responded with ongoing school construction, including a new elementary school in the north feeder system, accompanied by boundary and feeder adjustments that affect which schools children attend. Parkview Middle School’s enrollment is a size that is typical for a two-grade middle school in a growing district.
The student body is predominantly white, with Hispanic students making up a meaningful share and smaller groups of students who are Asian, Black, or of two or more races. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a measure that is lower than the national average and reflects the area's generally higher-income profile. Data on the share of students with individualized education programs or English learner status was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those figures.
Academically, Parkview Middle School posts strong test results. On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, the school’s proficiency rates in both math and English language arts sit above the midpoint among districts in Polk County, placing Parkview in the top quarter of that comparison group. Nearly nine in ten students scored proficient or above in English language arts, and more than eight in ten did so in math. The school’s combined academic performance across tested subjects is notably strong relative to other schools in the county.
Because Parkview serves only sixth and seventh grades, there is no graduation rate to report, and the school does not have data on chronic absenteeism in this set. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and its Title I status was not listed. The website for the school, as well as the district site, would be the place to look for details on course offerings, elective options, and any after-school or enrichment programs, none of which were included in the data provided.
The housing market around Parkview Middle School reflects the area’s desirability and growth. Home values are well above both the state and national benchmarks, and rents are similarly elevated. A typical monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home is higher than a typical rent, which is an unusual dynamic in many markets and suggests that buying may be comparatively expensive relative to renting in this zip code. The area’s unemployment rate is low, and median household income is above the national figure, consistent with a community that has strong economic fundamentals.
For a family moving to Ankeny, Parkview Middle School offers a solid academic foundation in a growing suburban setting. The proficiency data is strong, the district is investing in facilities to keep up with enrollment, and the community is prosperous and expanding. A parent looking at this school should weigh the rapid growth context, which brings new construction and boundary changes, against the consistently high test scores and the stable, family-oriented environment of the district. The missing data on special education and English learner populations is a gap worth addressing directly with the school to get a full picture of the student support available.
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