The top reported proficiency rate is 44% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Hiatt Middle School
Hiatt Middle School is a regular public school in Des Moines, serving sixth through eighth graders. It sits within the Des Moines Independent Community School District, the state’s largest urban district. The school’s student body is about the size of a mid-sized middle school for its grade band, with similar enrollment across all three grades.
The peer environment is shaped by a student population that is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller but significant share of Black students, and then White, Asian, and students identifying as two or more races. The school serves a high-poverty community: a very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on the number of students with individualized education programs or English learner status was not provided, but the economic profile gives families a clear signal about the resource context.
On state assessments, Hiatt’s results place it in the bottom range of Polk County districts for overall proficiency. In English language arts, fewer than half of tested students met the state’s proficiency standard. In math, roughly a third did. Science results were similar. Participation rates on the tests were high, so the results offer a reliable picture of current performance. Only one year of testing data was available, so there is no trend line to show whether the school is improving or declining.
The school itself is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation. Information on its staffing, course offerings, extracurricular programs, discipline rates, and attendance patterns was not included in the data available here. A parent exploring Hiatt would likely want to ask the school directly about these areas, as they are central to understanding the day-to-day student experience.
The housing market around the school is notably more affordable than the state average. Home values in the area are well below the typical Iowa home, and rents are modest. For a family looking at Des Moines’ east side, the cost of housing is a relative advantage. The broader Des Moines economy remains strong: the city is Iowa’s capital and a center for insurance, financial services, and publishing, with major employers like Principal Financial Group and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield based there. Recent growth has included data-processing facilities built by large tech companies, and the metropolitan area’s population has been rising. The city itself covers a large area with dozens of neighborhoods, extensive parkland and trails, and a downtown anchored by the state capitol, the Des Moines Art Center, and the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
Because Hiatt is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to report. The academic pathway for its students leads to one of the district’s high schools, though the data here does not specify which feeder pattern applies. The district context matters: Des Moines Public Schools is a large, urban system with a range of programs and challenges, and a middle school like Hiatt operates within that broader framework.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a diverse, economically disadvantaged student body in an affordable part of a growing capital city, with current academic proficiency below the county median. The lack of information on programs and support services is a gap a prospective family would need to fill through a direct visit or conversation with the school.
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