The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Brubaker Elementary School
Brubaker Elementary School is a regular public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Des Moines, Iowa, as part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District. Des Moines is the state’s capital and a major hub for insurance, financial services, and publishing. The city has a large park and trail system, a growing metropolitan area, and a mix of downtown civic anchors and residential neighborhoods. The school itself sits in the eastern part of the city, in a zip code where the typical home value and rent sit at moderate levels, making the area relatively affordable for a metro of this size.
The student body is diverse and economically varied. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a high level of economic need. Racially and ethnically, the school enrolls families from a range of backgrounds, with no single group holding a majority. The enrollment is moderate for an elementary school in this district, serving multiple sections per grade.
On state assessments in reading, math, and science, Brubaker’s overall proficiency fell in the bottom quartile when compared to districts across Polk County. This means that a smaller share of students met the state’s proficiency standard than at most other elementary schools in the county. Reading proficiency was somewhat higher than math, and science proficiency was the lowest of the three subjects. Only one year of test results is available in the data, so no trend can be observed yet. The school participated in the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, and participation rates were high, indicating nearly all enrolled students took the tests.
Because Brubaker is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing ratios, and program offerings such as gifted or arts programs were not available in the information provided, so a parent or resident interested in those details would need to follow up with the school directly. Similarly, information about Title I status and special education or English learner counts was missing from the data.
The broader Des Moines metro area has seen population growth in recent years, driven in part by new data-processing and logistics facilities from major tech companies. The city has also voluntarily annexed additional acreage and residents. Housing costs in the school’s zip code have risen modestly, and rents have increased a bit faster, though the area remains more affordable than the national average. The local unemployment rate sits in the low range of recent history, and median household income nationally has edged up.
For a family choosing Brubaker Elementary, the academic picture is one where outcomes trail many of the district’s and county’s other elementary schools. The school serves a high-needs population in a growing capital city, but the test results suggest that students, on the whole, are not yet reaching proficiency at rates comparable to peers in stronger-performing surrounding districts. A parent considering this school would likely want to ask the school directly about the specific academic supports in place for students who are not yet at grade level, how the school addresses the challenges that come with a high-poverty enrollment, and what enrichment or intervention programs are offered. The physical setting in Des Moines offers urban amenities and a stable housing market, and the district is the largest in the state, which may provide access to resources and programming not available in smaller districts.
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