The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in Math. The lowest is 56% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Southeast Elementary School
Southeast Elementary School sits within the Ankeny Community School District, a rapidly growing system in a Des Moines suburb that has been adding students at a steady clip for many years. The district recently opened a new elementary school in its north feeder system, and this kind of growth-driven construction has an ongoing effect on attendance boundaries and class sizes across all the district's schools. For families settling in Ankeny, the pace of new-home construction and the school district's response to it are a central fact of life.
Southeast Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade. Its enrollment is large for an elementary school, and the building houses a single grade level per classroom in each grade. The student body is predominantly white, with a noticeable share of Hispanic students, a roughly equal share of Black students, and a smaller presence of Asian students and students who identify as two or more races. More than a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate worth noting in a community with an otherwise above-average household income profile.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-2025 school year, Southeast Elementary posted results that put its overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades below the midpoint relative to districts in Polk County. That comparison covers eleven districts in the county. The school's math proficiency was solid, with a substantial majority of students meeting the state's bar. English language arts results were similar. Science proficiency was lower, with slightly more than half of students reaching the proficient level. Because this is a single year of data with no prior trend available for comparison, it is not possible to say whether these results represent a stable pattern or a single-year snapshot. A very high share of tested students participated in the assessments, which means the results reflect the performance of nearly all enrolled students in the tested grades.
The school does not serve grades that produce a graduation rate, so that measure is not applicable. The chronic absenteeism rate has not been reported, nor are counts available for students receiving special education services or for English learners. A parent with a child who may need those supports would want to inquire directly with the school about how those populations are served.
The Ankeny public schools do not currently report a specific program inventory for this building, so it is not clear from the available data what enrichment offerings, specialist classes, or before- and after-school options exist. State testing data shows what the school's academic profile looks like in core subjects, but it does not capture art, music, physical education, or other parts of a full elementary experience.
Ankeny itself is a fast-growing suburb located a short drive north of Des Moines, with a large share of its population under the age of eighteen. The city has expanded its land area substantially over time and continues to add residents at a notable annual rate. The housing market reflects that demand, with home values and rents that are meaningfully above the state average and that have risen recently. The city's built environment is largely suburban, auto-oriented, and spread across a broad footprint of residential subdivisions and commercial corridors.
For a family considering this school, the relevant context includes the district's growth pressures, the school's strong participation in state testing combined with results that are decent in math and reading but softer in science relative to county peers, and a student body that is more economically diverse than the community's overall income profile might suggest. The lack of reported data on special programs, special education counts, and English learner services means that families with specific needs should seek out that information directly before making a decision.
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