Dallas Center Elementary

Q: Is Dallas Center Elementary a good school?

Dallas Center Elementary ranks 129 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Dallas Center Elementary is a public elementary school serving 199 students in grades K-4 in the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District. The school has consistently strong academic performance, with a higher percentage of students proficient or better in both English Language Arts and Mathematics compared to the state average on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) tests.

Dallas Center Elementary stands out for its relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.4 to 13.4 over the past three school years, which is lower than many nearby schools. The school also has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 19.71% to 24.62% over the past three years, compared to some neighboring schools like Eason Elementary (31.2%) and Grant Ragan Elementary (22.26%).

While Dallas Center Elementary has consistently ranked in the top half of Iowa elementary schools, its student population is predominantly White (93.97%), which is in contrast to the more diverse student populations at many nearby schools in the Waukee Community School District. This difference in student demographics may present opportunities for collaboration and sharing of best practices between the schools to improve educational outcomes for all students in the region.

Detail:

Public K-4

1205 13th St
Dallas Center, IA 50063

(515) 992-3838

District: Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
129^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,581

Students who attend Dallas Center Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School
	Dc-G Oak View
High:	Dallas Center-Grimes High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.2

Number of students: 179

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.6%

Hispanic:

5.6%

Two or more races:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 24.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Dallas Center Elementary ranks better than 76.8% of elementary schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 72.55. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Dallas Center Elementary has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District. Racial makeup is: White (91.6%), Hispanic (5.6%), two or more races (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 24.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Dallas Center Elementary is 10.2, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Dallas Center Elementary employs 17.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Dallas Center Elementary is $13,581, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Dallas Center Elementary was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

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Rank History for Dallas Center Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	65.16	216^th	626	65.5%
2013	72.65	121^st	624	80.6%
2014	72.46	134^th	603	77.8%
2015	76.72	100^th	616	83.8%
2016	77.93	89^th	599	85.1%
2017	82.90	43^rd	574	92.5%
2018	63.03	237^th	567	58.2%
2019	66.50	200^th	603	66.8%
2021	71.79	142^nd	567	75.0%
2022	70.61	169^th	574	70.6%
2023	55.55	281^st	565	50.3%
2024	72.55	129^th	557	76.8%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Dallas Center Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2002	259	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	260
2003	259	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	260
2004	260	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	260
2005	339	4	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	348
2006	375	5	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	387
2007	398	3	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	407
2008	421	5	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	433
2009	325	3	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	332
2010	323	5	5	7	1	0	0	341
2011	318	6	5	5	0	0	1	335
2012	318	6	7	5	0	0	2	338
2013	346	3	4	12	2	0	0	367
2014	384	4	6	9	0	0	2	405
2015	368	10	4	17	0	0	6	405
2016	396	10	3	15	0	0	6	430
2017	412	9	4	17	0	0	7	449
2018	252	7	5	10	0	0	1	275
2019	242	3	5	10	0	0	2	262
2020	242	2	4	12	0	0	2	262
2021	240	2	1	7	0	0	2	252
2022	198	1	0	6	0	0	3	208
2023	187	1	0	8	0	0	3	199
2024	164	2	0	10	0	0	3	179

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Dallas Center Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	260	20.7	12.6	11.2
2003	260	20.7	12.6	11.2
2004	260	18.2	14.3	13.5
2005	348	24.3	14.3	11.8
2006	387	26.3	14.7	11.9
2007	407	27.5	14.8	9.3
2008	433	27.0	16.0	10.4
2009	332	21.8	15.2	11.7
2010	341	22.6	15.0	19.9
2011	335	21.5	15.5	19.4
2012	338	21.1	15.9	19.5
2013	367	22.9	15.9	20.7
2014	405	26.5	15.2	21
2015	405	26.0	15.5	26.2
2016	430	26.0	16.5	21.6
2017	449	28.1	15.9	20.5
2018	275	17.1	16.0	21.8
2019	262	18.6	14.0	25.2
2020	262	18.7	14.0	25.6
2021	252	18.7	13.4	23
2022	208	16.3	12.7	19.7
2023	199	17.4	11.4	24.6
2024	179	17.4	10.2	24.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Dallas Center Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2002	260	20.7	12.6	11.2
2003	260	20.7	12.6	11.2
2004	260	18.2	14.3	13.5
2005	348	24.3	14.3	11.8
2006	387	26.3	14.7	11.9
2007	407	27.5	14.8	9.3
2008	433	27.0	16.0	10.4
2009	332	21.8	15.2	11.7
2010	341	22.6	15.0	19.9
2011	335	21.5	15.5	19.4
2012	338	21.1	15.9	19.5
2013	367	22.9	15.9	20.7
2014	405	26.5	15.2	21
2015	405	26.0	15.5	26.2
2016	430	26.0	16.5	21.6
2017	449	28.1	15.9	20.5
2018	275	17.1	16.0	21.8
2019	262	18.6	14.0	25.2
2020	262	18.7	14.0	25.6
2021	252	18.7	13.4	23
2022	208	16.3	12.7	19.7
2023	199	17.4	11.4	24.6
2024	179	17.4	10.2	24.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Dallas Center Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$653 (4.8%)	$12,928 (95.2%)	$13,581

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dallas Center Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 200^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 281^st of 565 Elementary schools	16.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Dallas Center Elementary)	71.4	64.1	7.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District)	80.2	83.1	2.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Dallas Center Elementary)	83.7	79.5	4.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District)	87.1	90.2	3.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Dallas Center Elementary)	77.8	74.4	3.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District)	84.5	83.8	0.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Dallas Center Elementary)	82.2	74.4	7.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District)	88.8	84.5	4.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	262	199	24%
African American	3	1	66.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	0	100%
Hispanic	10	8	20%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	242	187	22.7%
Two or More Races	2	3	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	25.2%	24.6%	0.6%

Schools Near Dallas Center Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)			ISASP Mathematics (2024)			ISASP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Dallas Center Elementary	Public	K-4	1205 13th St	Dallas Center	50063	Dallas County	Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 992-3838	179	17	10.2	24.6%	164 (91.6%)	2 (1.1%)	10 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	72.6	129^th of 557 public elementary schools	76.8%		55.6	281^st of 565 public elementary schools	50.3%	152	75.6	82.1		75.6	92.3			$13,581	$653	$12,928
Adel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	1608 Grove St.	Adel	50003	Dallas County	Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 993-4285	413	32	13.0	19.4%	375 (90.8%)	5 (1.2%)	15 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.9%)								(n/a)								$11,491	$454	$11,038
Radiant Elementary School	Public	K-5	5050 170th ST	Urbandale	50323	Polk County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5161	789	49	16.1	13.9%	580 (73.5%)	53 (6.7%)	40 (5.1%)	68 (8.6%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	44 (5.6%)	78.5	78^th of 557 public elementary schools	86.0%		81.7	67^th of 565 public elementary schools	88.1%	11	70.1	80.3	82.4	85.4	86.1	87.8	77.9
Meadow View Elementary	Public	2-4	1300 S. 15th Street	Adel	50003	Dallas County	Adel DeSoto Minburn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 993-4283	523	39	13.4	20.5%	476 (91.0%)	5 (1.0%)	24 (4.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.1%)	76.4	99^th of 557 public elementary schools	82.2%		83	56^th of 565 public elementary schools	90.1%	43	73.7	87.1		82.3	85.4
Vince Meyer Early Learning Center	Public	PK	430 Ashowrth Dr	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5160	342	16	21.6	8.8%	196 (57.3%)	51 (14.9%)	41 (12.0%)	50 (14.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)								(n/a)
Grant Ragan Elementary School	Public	K-5	645 NE Dartmoor Drive	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 987-0435	662	46	14.3	26.0%	454 (68.6%)	44 (6.6%)	63 (9.5%)	49 (7.4%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (7.4%)	77.8	84^th of 557 public elementary schools	84.9%		74	125^th of 565 public elementary schools	77.9%	41	75.3	75.5	84.3	86.0	81.1	86.1	79.6	$10,993	$199	$10,794
Waukee Elementary School	Public	K-5	850 6th St	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-5193	713	47	15.1	22.2%	488 (68.4%)	51 (7.2%)	65 (9.1%)	38 (5.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (9.8%)	76.5	98^th of 557 public elementary schools	82.4%		82.3	64^th of 565 public elementary schools	88.7%	34	80.5	84.4	78.6	84.1	86.1	79.5	67.0	$10,849	$259	$10,590
Shuler Elementary School	Public	K-5	16400 Douglas Parkway	Clive	50325	Polk County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-8597	640	41	15.5	7.5%	522 (81.6%)	19 (3.0%)	21 (3.3%)	36 (5.6%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (6.1%)	87.6	20^th of 557 public elementary schools	96.4%		91.8	6^th of 565 public elementary schools	98.9%	14	83.0	89.5	87.5	87.7	86.3	91.7	83.3	$10,872	$236	$10,636
Walnut Hills Elementary School	Public	K-5	4240 156th St	Urbandale	50323	Polk County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-3585	590	37	15.9	6.9%	474 (80.3%)	26 (4.4%)	29 (4.9%)	27 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.8%)	92.5	5^th of 557 public elementary schools	99.1%		93.4	4^th of 565 public elementary schools	99.3%	1	88.1	92.0	88.0	97.2	96.5	93.5	81.5	$11,663	$253	$11,410
Sugar Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	965 Ashworth RD	Waukee	50263	Buchanan County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 987-5160	675	41	16.3	13.3%	454 (67.3%)	42 (6.2%)	48 (7.1%)	91 (13.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.9%)	73.8	120^th of 557 public elementary schools	78.5%					(n/a)	79.6	76.0	79.6	84.5	87.5	80.6	64.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Dallas Center Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Dallas Center Elementary?

Students at Dallas Center Elementary are 92% White, 6% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Is Dallas Center Elementary a good school?

Dallas Center Elementary ranks 129^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Dallas Center Elementary attend?

Students who attend Dallas Center Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Dallas Center-Grimes Middle School
Middle : Dc-G Oak View
High : Dallas Center-Grimes High School

How many students attend Dallas Center Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 179 students attended Dallas Center Elementary.

What district is Dallas Center Elementary in?

Dallas Center-Grimes Community School District

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.