Callanan Middle School

As a middle-of-the-pack intermediate school in Des Moines, Iowa, Callanan Middle School caters to 553 students from grades 6 through 8, one of the schools within Des Moines Independent Comm School District. That puts it 38% larger than the typical public school in Iowa, which averages around 400 students.

Callanan Middle School is one of 59 schools operated by Des Moines Independent Comm School District, a district that educates 29,676 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Callanan Middle School reports that 39% of students identify as Black, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 27% White, 21% Hispanic, 9% multiracial, 3% Asian. By comparison, Polk County as a whole is about 7% Black, so the school skews considerably more Black than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 35 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 15.8:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 15.2:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Around 80% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Polk County (around 49%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

With demographic context factored in, Callanan Middle School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 52.0%; this one delivers 50.0%.

In the surrounding community, Polk County reports that median household earnings sit near $83,576, roughly 40% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Polk County runs 137 public schools (combined enrollment of about 77,436 students), of which Callanan Middle School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Ruby Van Meter, around 0.1 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 7 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Callanan Middle School ranks 5th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 55.8%.

Callanan Middle School operates from a metropolitan location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count shrank 8%: 603 students in 2018 compared to 553 in 2025. Class-load math has loosened: from 14.3:1 in 2018 to 15.8:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.