The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Math. The lowest is 53% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Perkins Elementary School
Perkins Elementary School, a regular public school in the Des Moines Independent Community School District, serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. It is located in a residential area of Iowa’s capital city, a place that functions as the state’s political and insurance-industry hub, with a wide network of parks and trails and a downtown core near the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. The school sits within a district that is the largest in the state, and its immediate neighborhood reflects the broader city’s mix of older homes and modest development.
The student body is diverse. White students make up the largest share, followed by Black and Hispanic students in roughly equal proportions. Asian students and students who identify as two or more races also attend. The school sees a substantial share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a meaningful portion of families face economic strain. Data on students with disabilities and students classified as English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those support structures.
Academically, the school posts proficiency rates that fall below the midpoint for the Polk County districts, when considering a combined index of all tested subjects and grades. In math, a majority of students scored at a proficient level on the state’s ISASP assessment. In English language arts, a similar majority reached proficiency, while in science the share of students meeting the bar was lower. The school’s results rest on a single year of data, so no trend line is available to show whether performance is improving or declining. The participation rate on the tests was high, which means the results reflect nearly the entire student body.
Because Perkins is an elementary school, it does not have a graduation rate to report. The school offers no high school programming, so metrics like course access in advanced subjects or college-ready pathways do not apply.
For housing, the immediate zip code shows home values that are roughly in line with the broader state market, and rents are slightly below the state median. The area has seen a slight recent decline in both home values and rents, though the Des Moines metro continues to grow overall, with new residents arriving and major employers such as Principal Financial Group, Wells Fargo, and several tech firms maintaining a strong presence. The school’s location is inside the city, not in a far-flung suburb, so families who work downtown or elsewhere in Des Moines will find it within a reasonable distance.
The school’s programming details were not available in the data, so it is unclear whether it offers specific enrichment, magnet, or Title I supports. The school is not a charter or magnet. A parent considering Perkins will want to ask about class sizes, art and music offerings, and any specialized reading or math interventions, as those details were not captured in the available records. The building serves only the elementary grades, so families with older children will need to look at the district’s middle and high school options separately.
In sum, Perkins Elementary presents a mixed academic picture relative to its county peers, with proficiency below the midpoint but still showing a majority of students meeting the bar in core subjects. The student body is economically mixed and racially diverse, and the school sits in a growing capital city with a stable job base and a modest housing market.
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