The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in English language arts. The lowest is 64% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Stilwell Junior High School
Stilwell Junior High School serves seventh and eighth graders in West Des Moines, a fast-growing suburban city that functions as both a bedroom community for Des Moines and a major employment hub in its own right. The school is part of the West Des Moines Comm School District, a system that draws students from a mix of residential subdivisions and commercial corridors anchored by corporate headquarters in finance and insurance.
The student body at Stilwell is predominantly white, with a substantial Hispanic population and a smaller but notable Black student population. Asian and multiracial students together make up a meaningful share of enrollment. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a standard measure of lower household income. The school is a regular public school with no charter or magnet designation, and it does not serve grades where a graduation rate would apply.
On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, the most recent results show that a strong majority of Stilwell students met or exceeded the state's proficiency standards in English language arts and in math. The share proficient in ELA is higher than it is in math, while science proficiency is the weakest of the three tested subjects, though it still reflects a majority of students meeting the bar. When compared with other districts across Polk County, Stilwell’s overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint of the countywide field, meaning that while the school posts solid results, several other districts in the county post stronger combined scores across subjects. Participation rates on all three assessments were high, so the results reflect nearly the entire tested population.
Housing in the area is priced above the state average, with home values climbing modestly in the most recent year available. Rents are near the national consumer price index trend. The typical monthly mortgage payment in the area is higher than the typical rent, which is a common pattern in markets where homeownership is more expensive on a monthly basis than renting. The unemployment rate nationally was around the low four percent range at the time of the most recent data, and the real median household income nationally has been on a gradual upward trajectory in recent years. The economic context for the city is shaped by large employers in insurance, finance, and data services, including several corporate headquarters and a major Microsoft data center presence.
School environment data such as discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, and staffing ratios were not available in the record. A parent who wants a fuller picture of student support and school climate would need to consult the school or district directly for those specifics.
West Des Moines is a predominantly auto-oriented suburb, though Historic Valley Junction provides a walkable main-street district with local shops and a farmers market. The district operates a model in which ninth graders attend a dedicated Valley Southwoods Freshman High School before moving to Valley High School for the upper grades, a structural feature families should know when considering the full secondary pathway. Capital construction investment in the district has been substantial in recent years, reflecting facility growth that keeps pace with the city’s status as the fastest-growing municipality in Iowa by land area.
Stilwell Junior High offers a solid academic foundation for the middle grades, with proficiency rates that are respectable but not at the top of the county. Families weighing this school should consider it in the context of what the district offers at the high school level, particularly the split freshman campus arrangement, and factor in the area’s elevated housing costs relative to the rest of the state.
See more original research from School Decision →