The top reported proficiency rate is 84% in Math. The lowest is 73% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Four Mile Elementary
Four Mile Elementary serves prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school within the Southeast Polk Community School District. It sits in Pleasant Hill, a suburban community on the eastern edge of the Des Moines metropolitan area that has grown rapidly in recent decades. The city is car-dependent, built around highway corridors, with residential subdivisions separated from commercial strips, and most of the older sections feed into the Des Moines district while the newer portions belong to Southeast Polk. Transit service via DART Route 10 connects Pleasant Hill to the broader region. The city recently suspended its tax incentive program for new development following changes in state property tax law, a shift that may affect the pace of future growth.
The school’s enrollment is in the mid-range for an elementary building serving these grades. About two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a share that suggests a moderate level of economic diversity. Racially, the student body is majority white, with the next-largest groups being Hispanic, Asian, and students who identify as two or more races. The school does not report counts of students with individualized education programs or English learners in the available data, so a parent wanting the full picture on special education and language support services would need to ask the school directly.
Academically, Four Mile Elementary performs solidly. On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, proficiency rates in math, English language arts, and science all fall on the higher end. Math proficiency is well above most peers, ELA is strong, and science—tested only in fifth grade—is also comfortably above the state midpoint. The school’s composite proficiency index places it above the midpoint when compared with other districts in Polk County. Participation rates were very high, above ninety-eight percent, which lends credibility to the results. Only one year of data was available, so there is no trend to assess yet. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate and no chronic absenteeism measure to report; those metrics apply to secondary schools.
The building’s location in Pleasant Hill means that the surrounding housing market is relatively expensive. Home values are higher than the Iowa median, and the typical rent is in a range that may challenge some households. The area's suburban character and recent growth history suggest that families moving into newer subdivisions are likely to be drawn to this school as the elementary option within Southeast Polk.
What is not visible in the available data includes staffing ratios, teacher qualifications, discipline rates, course access, or any program offerings such as gifted education, music, or before- and after-school care. A prospective parent would want to tour the building and ask about these directly. The district itself had no recent publicly reported changes of note that would alter a family’s decision.
Four Mile Elementary presents as a straightforward, well-performing suburban elementary school. Its test results are clearly above the local average, its economic mix is moderate, and its community context is one of steady suburban expansion. Families who value strong measured academic outcomes in a car-dependent, growth-oriented suburb will find this school fits that profile. Those looking for detailed information on special populations, enrichment programs, or staffing should confirm those details with the school’s office.
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