Studebaker Elementary School

Studebaker Elementary School operates as a well-populated elementary campus in Des Moines, Iowa, part of Des Moines Independent Comm School District. Current enrollment sits at 561 students spanning grades K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 73% bigger than the state mean of about 325.

Across the 59 schools in Des Moines Independent Comm School District (29,676 students total), Studebaker Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On the student-mix side, Studebaker Elementary School records that 44% of students identify as Hispanic, with the remaining enrollment distributed across several groups. Other groups include 29% White, 19% Black, 6% multiracial, 4% Asian. The wider county runs roughly 10% Hispanic, putting the school's mix visibly more Hispanic than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 43 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 13.1:1 students per teacher. The state averages about 13.7:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 86% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Polk County runs at roughly 49%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully above the surrounding baseline.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Studebaker Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 48.8%; this one delivers 42.2%.

In the area at large, Polk County reports that median household income runs about $83,576, roughly 40% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Polk County's 137 public schools (combined enrollment of about 77,436 students), Studebaker Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is McCombs Middle School, roughly 0.4 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Studebaker Elementary School ranks 7th on composite proficiency, below the local average of 46.7%.

Geographically, the school is in an inner-city area.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 13%: 495 students in 2018 compared to 561 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 48% to 29% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 14.8:1 in 2018 to 13.1:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.