Southeast Elementary School

Southeast Elementary School is a large elementary school in Ankeny, Iowa, overseen by Ankeny Comm School District. The school educates 585 students in grades K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 325 students per school, that is 80% above typical.

Within Ankeny Comm School District, which oversees 18 schools and 12,746 students, Southeast Elementary School is one campus in the system.

In terms of who attends, Southeast Elementary School logs that the largest single group is White, at 68% of enrollment; the rest looks like 10% Hispanic, 10% Black, 8% multiracial, 4% Asian.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school currently runs with 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.6:1. The state averages around 13.7:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. Roughly 33% of students at Southeast Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is south of Polk County's rate of about 49%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Southeast Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 75.4%; this one delivers 72.8%.

Across the wider county, ACS estimates for Polk County put median household earnings sit near $83,576, about 40% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, 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 Southeast Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: East Elementary School, around 0.7 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Southeast Elementary School ranks 6th on composite proficiency, beneath the local average of 78.7%.

The school occupies a bedroom-community site.

Looking at the recent track record. Southeast Elementary School's enrollment has decreased 11% since 2018, when it stood at 658 (now 585). Over the same period, the White share fell from 78% to 68%. Class-load math has tightened: from 18.4:1 in 2018 to 14.6:1 in 2025.

Within the allk12 community for this school, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.