Hanawalt Elementary

As a reasonably sized K-5 school in Des Moines, Iowa, Hanawalt Elementary caters to 312 students from grades K through 5, one of the schools within Des Moines Independent Comm School District.

Des Moines Independent Comm School District runs 59 schools in total, collectively educating 29,676 students. Hanawalt Elementary is one of those campuses.

On the student-mix side, Hanawalt Elementary records that 55% of the student body identifies as White. Beyond that, the school records 26% Black, 13% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. That is visibly less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 76%.

In terms of school funding signals, Hanawalt Elementary reports 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 13.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting Hanawalt Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 49% of students at Hanawalt Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Hanawalt Elementary tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 67.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 65.9%.

Around the school, the surrounding county (Polk County) records that median household earnings sit near $83,576, 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. In all, Polk County runs 137 public schools (combined enrollment of about 77,436 students), of which Hanawalt Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Merrill Middle School, roughly 0.3 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Hanawalt Elementary at 5th of 8; the average score across the group is 65.3%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Hanawalt Elementary has shrank 9%, going from 343 students in 2018 to 312 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share expanded from 9% to 13%.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.