The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in Math. The lowest is 36% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Moulton Elementary School
Moulton Elementary School is a regular public school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving children from prekindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, the state’s largest district, and sits in the city’s near west side, not far from downtown. Des Moines itself is Iowa’s capital and a major center for insurance and financial services, anchored by employers such as Principal Financial Group and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. The city maintains extensive parks and trails along its rivers, and its downtown holds the State Capitol and the Des Moines Art Center. The school’s ZIP code area reflects a housing market that is modest relative to state averages, with home values and rents both noticeably below the wider Des Moines metro. For a family looking to buy, the monthly cost of owning appears to run slightly ahead of renting in this part of the city.
The student body at Moulton is diverse and predominantly made up of children from low-income households. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the racial and ethnic composition is primarily Black and Hispanic, with smaller numbers of White, Asian, and multiracial students. The school enrolls about as many students as a typical elementary in a city district of this size, with roughly balanced class sections across kindergarten through fifth grade. This is a school where a majority of students come from families facing economic challenges, and that context shapes the peer environment and the types of resources the school likely needs.
On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, less than half of Moulton students met proficiency standards in math or English language arts, and the share meeting the bar in science was lower still. Participation rates on the tests were high but not complete. Against other school districts in Polk County, Moulton’s overall proficiency across tested subjects places it in the bottom quarter. This is a school where academic attainment is substantially below the county midpoint, and a parent considering Moulton may want to ask the school directly about the specific supports it offers for students who are behind — intervention programs, tutoring, or extended learning time. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to consider, and the data available does not include information on chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or disciplinary actions, all of which would provide a fuller picture of the school environment.
No information was available about the school’s program offerings — whether it has art, music, physical education specialists, English learner services, or special education staffing levels. Given the high poverty rate, the school is virtually certain to receive federal Title I funding, but the data payload did not confirm the status. A family choosing Moulton should expect a school that reflects the broader challenges of an urban elementary serving a high-needs population and should confirm directly with the school what academic and enrichment programs are available and how the school works to accelerate progress for students who arrive below grade level. The Des Moines district is a large system with multiple options, and Moulton is one of its many neighborhood schools, situated in a part of the city where housing is more affordable than in many surrounding suburbs and where civic infrastructure — parks, trails, downtown landmarks — is within a short distance.
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