The top reported proficiency rate is 93% in Science. The lowest is 78% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on South Middle School
South Middle School serves sixth and seventh graders in Waukee, a fast-growing suburb of Des Moines that has become the fastest-growing large city in Iowa. Waukee has seen major corporate investments like Apple’s data center campus and the Kettlestone mixed-use development, which includes shopping, dining, parks, and trails. The city’s population has risen sharply in recent years, and the Waukee Community School District is the fastest-growing in the state, with enrollment projected to keep climbing. That growth has driven repeated school construction and boundary changes, including the opening of a second high school in 2021 and the November 2023 voter approval of a general obligation bond to fund a new elementary school, a new middle school, and safety upgrades across the district.
The school itself is a regular public school with a large student body for a two-grade middle school. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The student body is predominantly white, with a sizable Asian population and smaller shares of Black, Hispanic, and multiracial students. The school does not report data on special education or English learner enrollment, so a parent may want to follow up with the school directly on those supports.
Academically, South Middle School posts strong results on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress. Proficiency in English language arts is particularly high, and math proficiency is also solid. When measured against other districts in Dallas County, the school’s overall performance sits above the midpoint of the comparison group. Science testing data from a decade ago is available, but it is too dated to reflect current instruction, and no recent science results are reported. Because the school serves only grades 6 and 7, there is no graduation rate or chronic absenteeism metric to consider.
The school sits at a key point in the district’s evolving feeder system. Waukee now operates two separate high school attendance zones, and a family moving into the district will want to know which high school pathway their child will eventually enter. The school board approved new elementary boundaries effective for the 2025–2026 school year, reassigning a meaningful number of elementary students; current fifth graders and siblings were grandfathered. Middle school boundaries may shift in the future as the district continues to add schools to keep up with enrollment growth.
Waukee is largely auto-oriented, with limited public transit—it is the largest Iowa city without fixed-route bus service. Downtown Waukee has a historic center around Triangle Park, but newer developments like Kettlestone function as separate commercial and entertainment nodes. Housing values in the area are above the state median, and rents have been rising, reflecting the region’s strong job growth and demand for homes.
For a family considering South Middle School, the picture is one of a well-regarded academic environment within a rapidly growing suburban district. The school’s test scores are reassuringly strong, and the district’s ongoing investment in facilities points to continued support. At the same time, the pace of growth means that attendance boundaries, school openings, and enrollment pressures are likely to remain a regular part of the experience for families in Waukee. A parent may want to ask about current feeder patterns and any planned boundary reviews for the middle school level.
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