Willard Elementary School

Set in Des Moines, Iowa, Willard Elementary School is a close-knit primary school, run under Des Moines Independent Comm School District. It instructs 247 students across grades K through 5. Enrollment runs roughly 24% below the state mean of about 325.

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

On the student-mix side, Willard Elementary School shows that the most-represented group is Hispanic (47%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Beyond that, the school lists 33% White, 10% Black, 5% Asian, 5% multiracial. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 10%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Staff filings list 24 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 10.4:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting Willard Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 89% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Polk County (around 49%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Willard Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 47.6% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 52.1%.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Polk County put the typical household earns roughly $83,576 per year, about 40% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Willard Elementary School is one of 137 public schools in Polk County (combined enrollment of about 77,436 students).

The closest other public school is Stowe Elementary School, roughly 1.1 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), Willard Elementary School ranks 2nd on composite proficiency, ahead of the local average of 43.1%.

Geographically, the school is in a metropolitan area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Willard Elementary School's enrollment has declined 32% since 2018, when it stood at 362 (now 247). Over the same period, the Hispanic share rose from 30% to 47%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 12.1:1 in 2018 to 10.4:1 today.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.