South Prairie Elementary

Located at 500 S James St, in Grimes, Iowa, South Prairie Elementary is a mid-tier elementary-level community that caters to 436 students (grades K through 4), overseen by Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District. By comparison, Iowa's public schools average about 325 students each, so South Prairie Elementary sits 34% larger than that benchmark.

South Prairie Elementary is one of 7 schools operated by Dallas Center-Grimes Comm School District, a district that works with 3,743 students overall.

Demographically, South Prairie Elementary logs that the largest single group is White, at 70% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school logs 17% Black, 8% Hispanic, 5% multiracial.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.5:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. Around 30% 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 noticeably below typical.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Polk County put median household income runs about $83,576, 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. South Prairie Elementary is one of 137 public schools in Polk County (combined enrollment of about 77,436 students).

Nearest neighbor: DC-G Oak View, around 1.1 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius.

The campus sits in an outer-ring setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count held roughly steady: 440 students in 2018 compared to 436 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share fell from 87% to 70%. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 14.9:1 in 2018 to 13.5:1 today.

Inside the community feed, members of the South Prairie Elementary community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.