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If you had an hour of school board time for Hoover High School, what would you bring up?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
898
High
DISTRICT 1,512 · STATE 468
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DES MOINES INDEPENDENT COMM SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 190897000543
Hoover High School
4800 Aurora Ave, Des Moines, IA 50310 · (515) 242-7300 · Polk County
GRADES 09–12HIGH12-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL898 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 7% of Iowa public high schools
- FTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Iowa public high schools
Student : Teacher
20.6:1
44 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 24.0:1 · STATE 17.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
80%
718 students
DISTRICT 76% · STATE 41%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 212 | 24% |
| Grade 10 | 221 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 234 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 231 | 26% |
Student demographics
75%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 74% · STATE 48% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
ISASP 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
50.8%
IA avg 73.6% . +1.6pp since 2023
Math
42.4%
IA avg 70.9% . +5.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the ISASP, Iowa's statewide test, about 51 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 42 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Iowa schools, those numbers are about 74 and 71. Reading and writing scores are up about 2 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 5 points.
ISASP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 50.8% | 42.4% |
| 2023-24 | 49.2% | 37.4% |
% Proficient, all students and all tested grades.
Source: ISASP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
43.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
52.0%
based on IA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-8.3pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 44% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 52% typical for Iowa schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Iowa's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Hoover High School
Hoover High School's state test result (43.6% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoover High School this school | 898 | 80.0% | 43.6% |
| North High School Des Moines | 1,428 | 84.0% | 39.1% |
| Lincoln High School Des Moines | 2,364 | 74.9% | 41.1% |
| East High School Des Moines | 1,952 | 78.4% | 38.3% |
| West High School Waterloo | 1,696 | 59.1% | 60.9% |
| East High School Waterloo | 1,016 | 70.8% | 47.9% |
Matched among Iowa high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Hoover High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Iowa | In Polk County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 43.6% | #308 of 313 | #15 of 18 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 42.4% | #308 of 314 ▼ 1 | #15 of 18 no change |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 50.8% | #306 of 314 ▲ 3 | #15 of 18 no change |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 898 | #53 of 340 | #14 of 20 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 20.6:1 | #251 of 259 | #13 of 18 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 74.5% | #1 of 260 | #1 of 18 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 80.0% | #3 of 320 | #2 of 19 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -18.8% | #28 of 125 | N/A |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
898
-161 (-15%) vs 2020
-3% since 1990-91, when it was 922
Student : Teacher
20.6:1
was 20.8:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 898 | 43.7 | 20.6:1 | 80% (718) |
| 2023-24 | 923 | 41 | 22.5:1 | 70% (643) |
| 2022-23 | 991 | 46.2 | 21.4:1 | 78% (774) |
| 2020-21 | 1,059 | 51 | 20.8:1 | 80% (849) |
| 2017-18 | 1,106 | 57.6 | 19.2:1 | 78% (860) |
| 2015-16 | 1,076 | 59 | 18.2:1 | 75% (812) |
| 2010-11 | 1,075 | 65 | 16.5:1 | 65% (696) |
| 2000-01 | 1,238 | 77 | 16.1:1 | 36% (448) |
| 1990-91 | 922 | 76 | 12.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Hoover High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 19% (1,106 to 898); teachers down 24% (57.6 to 43.7).
About Hoover High School
Hoover High School, located in Des Moines, Iowa, is a large high school. It enrolled 898 students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2024-25 school year. Statewide, high schools in Iowa average about 468 students each.
The district for Hoover High School is Des Moines Independent Comm School District, with 59 schools and 29,676 students.
Black students form the largest group at Hoover High School, 37% of enrollment. Other groups include 26% Hispanic, 17% White, 15% Asian, and 5% multiracial. By comparison, Polk County residents are about 7% Black. By the diversity index, Hoover High School comes in at 75%.
The school reported 43.7 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25 and a ratio of 20.6:1. The 17.3:1 average for high schools in Iowa is lower than this school's figure. Eligible students account for 80% of enrollment in the free or reduced-price lunch program. That is 31 points above the 49% average for public schools in Polk County.
Measured against Iowa public high schools, Hoover High School receives a D. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Schools in Iowa with a similar free or reduced-price lunch share are predicted to score about 52.0%. Hoover High School scores 43.6%.
In the county around the school, Polk County, median household income is about $83,576, 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Hoover High School is among the 137 public schools in Polk County.
Nearby, Meredith Middle School is about 0.1 miles away. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. On average proficiency, Hoover High School is 8th of 8 nearby schools with test data.
Federal records code the school's setting as City: Mid-size.
From 2020-21 to 2024-25, Hoover High School went from 1,059 students to 898.
Posts about sports tryouts, band and choir, and theater are welcome on this page. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Polk County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
503,175
Census ACS
Median income
$83,576
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
40%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
137
77,436 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Des Moines Independent Comm School District
- Lincoln High SchoolHigh · 2,364 students
- Roosevelt High SchoolHigh · 2,051 students
- East High SchoolHigh · 1,952 students
- North High SchoolHigh · 1,428 students
- Weeks Middle SchoolMiddle · 688 students
- McCombs Middle SchoolMiddle · 670 students
Other schools in Des Moines
- Lincoln High SchoolHigh · 2,364 students
- Roosevelt High SchoolHigh · 2,051 students
- East High SchoolHigh · 1,952 students
- North High SchoolHigh · 1,428 students
- Weeks Middle SchoolMiddle · 688 students
- McCombs Middle SchoolMiddle · 670 students
Other Hoover High schools
3 other US public schools in 4 states are named Hoover High. Hoover High School is the 4th largest of the 4.
- Hoover High SchoolHoover, AL · 2,919 students
- Hoover HighSan Diego, CA · 2,011 students
- Hoover High SchoolNorth Canton, OH · 1,502 students
Nearby schools
- Meredith Middle School0.1 mi · 662
- Moore Elementary School0.6 mi · 285
- Samuelson Elementary School0.7 mi · 386
- Woodlawn Early Childhood Center1.0 mi · 216
- Hillis Elementary School1.5 mi · 279
- Urbandale High School1.6 mi · 1,301
Frequently asked questions
About Hoover High SchoolHow large is Hoover High School?
Hoover High School enrolls approximately 898 students in grades 09-12.
Is Hoover High School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Hoover High School is a high school covering grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hoover High School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Hoover High School is approximately 20.6:1 (44 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Hoover High School?
Hoover High School reports a student body of 17% White, 26% Hispanic, 37% Black, 15% Asian, 5% Two or more.
What district is Hoover High School in?
Hoover High School is part of Des Moines Independent Comm School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.