The top reported proficiency rate is 89% in Math. The lowest is 81% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Webster Elementary School
Webster Elementary School is a regular public elementary school in Urbandale, Iowa, serving students in preschool through fifth grade as part of the Urbandale Community School District. It sits in a suburban community that was originally developed as a streetcar suburb of Des Moines and has since grown into a sizable city with a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors. The city’s largest employment sectors are finance and insurance, health care, and retail, and it has a network of parks and recreational trails that connect to the broader Des Moines area.
On the 2024–2025 Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, Webster Elementary posted proficiency rates that place it well above the midpoint among districts in Polk County. Across tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile for the county. In math, a strong majority of students scored proficient or above; in English language arts, the share was similarly high; and in science, the share was also high, though the science results reflect a narrower tested grade range. Participation rates on the assessments were very high, lending confidence to the results. Because the data reflects only a single year, trend information is not available to show whether performance is rising or falling.
The school’s enrollment is substantial for an elementary building serving PK–5, and the student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Asian, black, Hispanic, multiracial, and Pacific Islander students. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is modest, and data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the source materials, so a parent wanting a full picture of special education and language support may wish to ask the school directly. The school operates as a regular public school and does not have charter or magnet status; Title I status was also not available.
Urbandale has seen sustained population growth, including expansion westward into Dallas County, which has been one of the fastest-growing counties in the country. Housing values in the area are above the state average but have seen a slight year-over-year dip. Typical rents are moderate relative to national benchmarks. The community is car-oriented, with limited public transit and a highway-adjacent layout, though the trail system provides some pedestrian and bike connectivity.
At the district level, several changes are relevant to a family considering Webster Elementary. In late 2023, the school board approved new elementary attendance boundaries that took effect for the 2024–2025 school year, aimed at balancing enrollment across the district’s four elementary schools. Current students were grandfathered in, but new families moving into the district are subject to the boundaries, which directly determine which elementary school their children attend. Webster’s specific placement within those boundaries is not detailed here, so a prospective resident should verify the current attendance map. Also in late 2023, voters approved a substantial general obligation bond to fund a new Olmsted Elementary School, district-wide security upgrades, and additional classroom space at Urbandale High School, with construction underway and completion targeted for 2026. The district has also been implementing competency-based education across all grade levels, allowing students to progress based on demonstrated mastery rather than seat time, a pedagogical shift that affects how instruction and assessment work in the elementary grades.
Because Webster serves only early and elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism rate to report. Discipline and staffing data were not available for this school. The overall picture is of a school with strong academic results on state tests, serving a relatively low-poverty suburban population, within a growing district that has recently adjusted school boundaries and invested in new facilities.
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