Cattell Elementary School

As a moderately sized elementary-level community in Des Moines, Iowa, Cattell Elementary School hosts 314 students from grades K through 5, part of Des Moines Independent Comm School District.

Cattell Elementary School is one of 59 schools operated by Des Moines Independent Comm School District, a district that instructs 29,676 students overall.

Looking at the student body, Cattell Elementary School lists that the largest single group is Hispanic at 32%, but no single group is in the majority; the rest reads as 28% White, 21% Black, 9% Asian, 9% multiracial. By comparison, Polk County as a whole is about 10% Hispanic, so the school skews considerably more Hispanic than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, The school reports having 27 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 11.6:1. The state averages around 13.7:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 86% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. By comparison, Polk County runs at roughly 49%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Cattell Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 48.8%; this one delivers 51.8%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Polk County put median household income runs about $83,576, about 40% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across Polk County's 137 public schools (combined enrollment of about 77,436 students), Cattell Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Madison Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.6 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Cattell Elementary School at 1st of 9; the average score across the group is 38.1%.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Cattell Elementary School has edged down 23%, going from 410 students in 2018 to 314 in 2025. Class-load math has tightened: from 13.3:1 in 2018 to 11.6:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the Cattell Elementary School community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.