South Union Elementary School

Set in Des Moines, Iowa, South Union Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary-level community, overseen by Des Moines Independent Comm School District. It instructs 422 students across grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 325 students per school, that is 30% bigger than typical.

Within Des Moines Independent Comm School District, which oversees 59 schools and 29,676 students, South Union Elementary School is one campus in the system.

Demographically, South Union Elementary School logs that the most-represented group is Hispanic (35%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. The remainder looks like 23% White, 22% Black, 10% multiracial, 10% Asian. 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, Staff filings list 34 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 12.5:1 students per teacher. The state averages around 13.7:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Around 85% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is above Polk County's rate of about 49%.

After controlling for student poverty, South Union Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 49.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 46.6%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Polk County indicate the typical household earns roughly $83,576 per year, roughly 40% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Polk County runs 137 public schools (combined enrollment of about 77,436 students), of which South Union Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Mitchell Early Childhood Center, around 0.8 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts South Union Elementary School at 3rd of 8; the average score across the group is 43.4%.

The campus sits in a high-density setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 15%: 494 students in 2018 compared to 422 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 40% to 23% over that span.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.