Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Des Moines Independent Comm School District

This page covers 10 middle schools in Des Moines Independent Comm School District. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

10
Schools Ranked
Iowa
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 10
1
rank
Merrill Middle School
Grades 06–08634 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
49
/100
Student:Teacher
17.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
42/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
45%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Meredith Middle School
Grades 06–08664 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
49
/100
Student:Teacher
14.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
84%
High economic need
3
rank
McCombs Middle School
Grades 06–08654 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
47
/100
Student:Teacher
15.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
84%
High economic need
4
rank
Callanan Middle School
Grades 06–08507 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
46
/100
Student:Teacher
15.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
42/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
77%
High economic need
5
rank
Brody Middle School
Grades 06–08603 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
45
/100
Student:Teacher
19.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
50/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
74%
High economic need
6
rank
Weeks Middle School
Grades 06–08684 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
45
/100
Student:Teacher
17.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
86%
High economic need
7
rank
Hiatt Middle School
Grades 06–08529 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
43
/100
Student:Teacher
15.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
42/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
95%
High economic need
8
rank
Hoyt Middle School
Grades 06–08486 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
43
/100
Student:Teacher
16.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
39/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
80%
High economic need
9
rank
Goodrell Middle School
Grades 06–08523 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
43
/100
Student:Teacher
16.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
39/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
85%
High economic need
10
rank
Harding Middle School
Grades 06–08655 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($16,525/student)
42
/100
Student:Teacher
17.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
42/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,525
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
89%
High economic need
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
10
Middle Schools
59
Total Schools
49
#1 Score
45
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Compare Des Moines Independent Comm School District with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.