The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in English language arts. The lowest is 56% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Woodside Middle School
Woodside Middle School is a regular public school in the Saydel Community School District, serving fifth through eighth graders in Des Moines. It is one of the district’s two middle-level buildings, and it sits within a city that is both Iowa’s capital and a regional hub for insurance, financial services, and publishing. The school is a straightforward option for families in the north and northeast parts of the metropolitan area, but the district context matters a great deal.
On state assessments administered in 2024-25, Woodside’s students performed unevenly across subjects. English language arts was the strongest area, with a clear majority of students scoring proficient. Math proficiency was lower, and science was the weakest of the three, with roughly half of students meeting the bar. When compared against other districts in Polk County, Woodside’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint. These results place the school solidly in the middle of the pack, with room to improve particularly in math and science. Because only one year of data is available, there is no trend to examine. Still, the pattern is consistent with a school where many students are doing well in reading and writing but a sizable share struggle with quantitative and scientific reasoning.
About three-fifths of Woodside’s students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, meaning the school serves a population with above-average economic need. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic minority and a smaller but notable group of students who identify as two or more races. Black, Asian, and Native American students each make up very small percentages. The school is not a magnet or charter, and its Title I status was not reported in the available data, though the income profile makes it likely that federal support is present.
The housing market in the area around the school is relatively affordable compared to the rest of Iowa and the nation. Home values in the ZIP code are below the state median, and rents have been climbing recently but remain within reach for many working families. Des Moines itself is a growing metro area, with a strong presence of large employers like Principal Financial Group, Wells Fargo, and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as tech data centers from Microsoft and Facebook. The city maintains extensive parkland and trails, and its downtown holds the Iowa State Capitol and the Des Moines Art Center. Still, the school’s immediate context is shaped less by downtown than by the Saydel district’s recent decisions.
Saydel Community School District has made two structural changes that families must consider. In the 2024-25 school year, it became the first traditional public district in the Des Moines metro to adopt a four-day school week, with longer school days Monday through Thursday. The district cited teacher recruitment and retention, budget pressure, and declining enrollment as reasons. Separately, the district approved a multi-year budget reduction plan to address falling enrollment and state funding shortfalls, cutting transportation, field trips, and administrative costs while avoiding layoffs. These shifts affect daily family logistics—childcare, extracurriculars, and student routines—and signal an organization in transition.
Because Woodside is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to report. Data on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and course access were not available in the records used here, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about these topics, particularly how the four-day week has affected attendance and learning time.
This school fits a family looking for a middle-of-the-road academic profile within a district that is reconfiguring its operations. The cost of living in the area is lower than in many parts of the country, and the broader Des Moines economy is stable. For a parent who values literacy instruction and can work around a Monday-through-Thursday schedule, Woodside Middle School offers a workable option. A parent who prioritizes high math and science scores or seeks a district with strong enrollment stability and traditional weekly schedules may want to look further.
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