James Wilson Grimes School

James Wilson Grimes School, a modestly sized elementary school in Burlington, Iowa, part of Burlington Comm School District, teaches 212 students, covering grades K through 4. By comparison, Iowa's public schools average about 325 students each, so James Wilson Grimes School sits 35% smaller than that benchmark.

Within Burlington Comm School District, which oversees 8 schools and 3,140 students, James Wilson Grimes School is one campus in the system.

Looking at the student body, James Wilson Grimes School shows that White students make up the majority at 57%. Beyond that, the school reports 21% Black, 14% multiracial, 9% Hispanic. By comparison, Des Moines County as a whole is about 86% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

On the income-and-resources front, James Wilson Grimes School reports 19 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.5:1. That figure is tighter than the state norm's 13.7:1 average. About 60% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Des Moines County (around 45%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, On a poverty-adjusted basis, James Wilson Grimes School sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 61.7%; actual is 44.5%, a gap of -17.2 points.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Des Moines County put median household earnings sit near $62,928, roughly 24% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 10%. James Wilson Grimes School is one of 15 public schools in Des Moines County (combined enrollment of about 5,632 students).

Corse Early Childhood Center is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.8 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around James Wilson Grimes School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts James Wilson Grimes School at 8th of 8; the average score across the group is 60.7%.

The school occupies a town-based site.

Looking at the recent track record. James Wilson Grimes School's enrollment has ticked down 42% since 2018, when it stood at 368 (now 212). White enrollment moved from 67% to 57% across the same window. Class-load math has tightened: from 15.4:1 in 2018 to 11.5:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, posts here usually surface around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.