Capitol View Elementary School

Summary:

Capitol View Elementary School is a public elementary school in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 505 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Des Moines Independent Community School District, which is ranked 301 out of 309 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Capitol View Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom tier of Iowa elementary schools, ranking between 532-593 out of 557-616 schools over the past 10 years. Its proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are significantly lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in 3rd grade English Language Arts, Capitol View's proficiency rate was 33.3% compared to 50-64.5% at the nearby Phillips Elementary, Willard Elementary School, and other surrounding schools. Capitol View has a high percentage of students (over 94%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

Despite the higher spending per student at Capitol View ($18,793 per student), the school's academic outcomes remain significantly below the district and state averages. This raises questions about the effective allocation and utilization of resources to support student learning. Additionally, Capitol View serves a student population that is predominantly Hispanic (over 54%) and has consistently ranked in the bottom tier of Iowa elementary schools for the past 10 years, with no improvement in its SchoolDigger rating, which remains at 0 stars out of 5.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

320 E. 16th
Des Moines, IA 50316

(515) 242-8402

District: Des Moines Independent Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
532^nd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,793

Students who attend Capitol View Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hiatt Middle School
High:	East High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.3

Number of students: 545

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

53.2%

White:

19.8%

African American:

18.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.3%

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Compare Capitol View Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Capitol View Elementary School ranks worse than 95.5% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 27^th among 38 ranked elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.27. (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 Student population at Capitol View Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (53.2%), White (19.8%), African American (18.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Capitol View Elementary School is 12.3. 21 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Capitol View Elementary School employs 44 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Capitol View Elementary School is $18,793, which is the 3^rd highest among 38 elementary schools in the Des Moines Independent Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Capitol View Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Des Moines Independent Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Des Moines Independent Community School District 301^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Capitol View Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	2.60	618^th	626	1.3%
2013	3.29	614^th	624	1.6%
2014	2.69	591^st	603	2.0%
2015	4.41	593^rd	616	3.7%
2016	7.02	571^st	599	4.7%
2017	11.83	517^th	574	9.9%
2018	12.83	508^th	567	10.4%
2019	10.30	564^th	603	6.5%
2021	7.78	537^th	567	5.3%
2022	3.85	557^th	574	3.0%
2023	5.17	542^nd	565	4.1%
2024	5.27	532^nd	557	4.5%

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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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Capitol View Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	349	21	1	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	377
1989	339	26	1	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	370
1990	311	19	2	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	342
1991	320	14	6	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	350
1992	306	15	4	12	5	n/a	n/a	0	342
1993	256	19	5	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	325
1994	262	16	5	46	3	n/a	n/a	0	332
1995	220	15	9	122	6	n/a	n/a	0	372
1996	220	15	9	122	6	n/a	n/a	0	372
1997	198	12	9	152	4	n/a	n/a	0	375
1998	189	14	7	177	3	n/a	n/a	0	390
1999	180	13	7	162	5	n/a	n/a	0	367
2000	393	59	10	171	5	n/a	n/a	-29	609
2001	349	76	25	150	3	n/a	n/a	0	603
2002	364	72	29	198	5	n/a	n/a	0	668
2003	364	72	29	198	5	n/a	n/a	0	668
2004	349	90	32	190	5	n/a	n/a	0	666
2005	331	109	27	222	4	n/a	n/a	0	693
2006	300	98	34	236	3	n/a	n/a	0	671
2007	310	94	31	239	4	n/a	n/a	0	678
2008	250	104	21	249	2	n/a	n/a	0	626
2009	234	79	18	262	3	n/a	n/a	0	596
2010	161	84	21	302	1	0	35	0	604
2011	176	85	19	263	0	0	29	0	572
2012	146	89	15	251	2	0	28	0	531
2013	146	82	22	298	3	1	33	0	585
2014	130	89	24	299	4	0	25	0	571
2015	143	91	29	310	3	0	21	0	597
2016	133	107	23	305	3	0	33	0	604
2017	129	101	18	314	4	0	32	0	598
2018	124	114	19	303	6	0	28	0	594
2019	119	110	23	278	3	0	33	0	566
2020	120	90	18	287	3	0	32	0	550
2021	115	87	16	276	1	0	20	0	515
2022	119	87	19	286	1	0	21	0	533
2023	119	75	16	275	0	0	20	0	505
2024	108	103	18	290	2	0	24	0	545

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 Capitol View Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	377	20.2	18.6	56.5
1989	370	15.5	23.8	45.9
1990	342	20.7	16.5	35.1
1991	350	23.9	14.6	46.6
1992	342	28.0	12.2	47.7
1993	325	31.2	10.4	59.4
1994	332	35.6	9.3	56.9
1995	372	30.2	12.3	69.6
1996	372	30.2	12.3	69.6
1997	375	30.2	12.4	65.3
1998	390	30.2	12.9	65.4
1999	367	29.4	12.5	88.3
2000	609	67.9	9.0	85.3
2001	603	65.4	9.2	76
2002	668	62.8	10.6	82.5
2003	668	62.8	10.6	82.5
2004	666	66.1	10.1	87.7
2005	693	58.8	11.8	80.8
2006	671	59.3	11.3	72.3
2007	678	60.4	11.2	27.4
2008	626	58.4	10.7	99.5
2009	596	56.0	10.6	48.7
2010	604	53.9	11.1	77
2011	572	48.5	11.7	77.6
2012	531	45.0	11.8	99.4
2013	585	50.5	11.5	91.3
2014	571	50.0	11.4	96
2015	597	48.0	12.4	95
2016	604	51.0	11.8	92.7
2017	598	52.0	11.5	92.6
2018	594	50.6	11.7	94.1
2019	566	50.6	11.1	95.8
2020	550	45.5	12.0	95.1
2021	515	48.0	10.7	95
2022	533	44.2	12.0	95.1
2023	505	43.7	11.5	94.5
2024	545	44.0	12.3	85.3

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 Capitol View Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	377	20.2	18.6	56.5
1989	370	15.5	23.8	45.9
1990	342	20.7	16.5	35.1
1991	350	23.9	14.6	46.6
1992	342	28.0	12.2	47.7
1993	325	31.2	10.4	59.4
1994	332	35.6	9.3	56.9
1995	372	30.2	12.3	69.6
1996	372	30.2	12.3	69.6
1997	375	30.2	12.4	65.3
1998	390	30.2	12.9	65.4
1999	367	29.4	12.5	88.3
2000	609	67.9	9.0	85.3
2001	603	65.4	9.2	76
2002	668	62.8	10.6	82.5
2003	668	62.8	10.6	82.5
2004	666	66.1	10.1	87.7
2005	693	58.8	11.8	80.8
2006	671	59.3	11.3	72.3
2007	678	60.4	11.2	27.4
2008	626	58.4	10.7	99.5
2009	596	56.0	10.6	48.7
2010	604	53.9	11.1	77
2011	572	48.5	11.7	77.6
2012	531	45.0	11.8	99.4
2013	585	50.5	11.5	91.3
2014	571	50.0	11.4	96
2015	597	48.0	12.4	95
2016	604	51.0	11.8	92.7
2017	598	52.0	11.5	92.6
2018	594	50.6	11.7	94.1
2019	566	50.6	11.1	95.8
2020	550	45.5	12.0	95.1
2021	515	48.0	10.7	95
2022	533	44.2	12.0	95.1
2023	505	43.7	11.5	94.5
2024	545	44.0	12.3	85.3

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 Capitol View Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$3,389 (18.0%)	$15,405 (82.0%)	$18,793

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Capitol View Elementary School

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 564^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 542^nd of 565 Elementary schools	2.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Capitol View Elementary School)	41.4	37	4.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	44	43.3	0.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Capitol View Elementary School)	57.1	50.6	6.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	52	52.1	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Capitol View Elementary School)	51.7	48.4	3.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	49.7	52.4	2.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Capitol View Elementary School)	48.3	23.4	24.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	50.9	47.6	3.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Capitol View Elementary School)	51.1	48.6	2.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	46.5	49.5	3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Capitol View Elementary School)	47.7	44.4	3.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Des Moines Independent Community School District)	48.4	51.6	3.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	566	505	10.8%
African American	110	75	31.8%
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	23	16	30.4%
Hispanic	278	275	1.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	119	119
Two or More Races	33	20	39.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	95.8%	94.5%	1.3%

Schools Near Capitol View Elementary School

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
Capitol View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	320 E. 16th	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8402	545	44	12.3	85.3%	108 (19.8%)	103 (18.9%)	290 (53.2%)	18 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.4%)	5.3	532^nd of 557 public elementary schools	4.5%		5.2	542^nd of 565 public elementary schools	4.1%	10	33.3	50.7	46.0	50.0	50.7	38.1	31.7	$18,793	$3,389	$15,405
Carver Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	705 E University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8418	419	36	11.7	87.4%	34 (8.1%)	100 (23.9%)	248 (59.2%)	17 (4.1%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.8%)	3.7	544^th of 557 public elementary schools	2.3%		0.8	564^th of 565 public elementary schools	0.2%	20	31.0	44.1	32.2	48.3	50.8	45.8	25.4	$17,672	$1,648	$16,024
McKinley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1610 SE 6th Street	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8423	269	22	12.3	78.1%	80 (29.7%)	30 (11.2%)	122 (45.4%)	13 (4.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.6%)	8.1	519^th of 557 public elementary schools	6.8%		6.5	535^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.3%	16	31.7	41.7	54.5	39.0	52.8	57.6	33.3	$18,844	$1,470	$17,374
Phillips Elementary	Public	K-5	1701 Lay St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8431	254	24	10.7	68.9%	134 (52.8%)	22 (8.7%)	75 (29.5%)	7 (2.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.5%)	11.5	504^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.5%		21.7	471^st of 565 public elementary schools	16.6%	33	50.0	34.2	55.6	61.8	47.4	53.3	31.1	$16,246	$669	$15,577
Willard Elementary School	Public	K-5	2941 Dean Avenue	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8439	282	25	11.3	81.9%	96 (34.0%)	43 (15.2%)	113 (40.1%)	14 (5.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.0%)	10.9	507^th of 557 public elementary schools	9.0%		14.3	509^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.9%	2	47.1	50.0	47.6	58.8	52.2	57.1	31.0	$16,503	$1,680	$14,822
Walnut Street School	Public	PK, KG-5	901 Walnut St	Des Moines	50309	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8438	244	17	14.6	55.3%	77 (31.6%)	80 (32.8%)	48 (19.7%)	14 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (10.2%)	33	430^th of 557 public elementary schools	22.8%		28.8	444^th of 565 public elementary schools	21.4%	14	50.0	82.1	65.4	70.0	53.6	57.7	48.0	$16,042	$659	$15,382
Moulton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1541 8th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8427	450	35	12.9	88.2%	37 (8.2%)	211 (46.9%)	149 (33.1%)	25 (5.6%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)	7.2	526^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.6%		3.3	551^st of 565 public elementary schools	2.5%	25	31.0	40.3	42.6	29.3	38.8	63.9	36.1	$16,426	$1,675	$14,751
Cattell Elementary School	Public	K-5	3101 E 12th St	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8403	308	29	10.5	78.9%	80 (26.0%)	67 (21.8%)	105 (34.1%)	26 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	27 (8.8%)	29.4	443^rd of 557 public elementary schools	20.5%		19.5	483^rd of 565 public elementary schools	14.5%	40	50.0	56.5	74.4	50.0	51.6	79.1	53.5	$16,110	$1,920	$14,190
Garton Elementary	Public	K-5	2820 E 24th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8408	429	36	11.8	77.6%	96 (22.4%)	62 (14.5%)	171 (39.9%)	65 (15.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	32 (7.5%)	12.4	499^th of 557 public elementary schools	10.4%		3.1	552^nd of 565 public elementary schools	2.3%	53	44.4	46.7	31.3	77.8	49.3	46.9	26.6	$16,721	$1,650	$15,072
Edmunds Elementary School	Public	K-5	950 15th Street	Des Moines	50314	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 243-1174	286	26	11.2	94.8%	20 (7.0%)	207 (72.4%)	40 (14.0%)	9 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	9 (3.1%)	1.7	551^st of 557 public elementary schools	1.1%		1.5	559^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.1%	8	29.4	34.1	41.3	47.1	39.0	37.0	15.2	$18,276	$2,057	$16,219

Frequently Asked Questions about Capitol View Elementary School

How many students attend Capitol View Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 545 students attended Capitol View Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Capitol View Elementary School?

Students at Capitol View Elementary School are 53% Hispanic, 20% White, 19% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Capitol View Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Capitol View Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hiatt Middle School
High : East High School

Is Capitol View Elementary School a good school?

Capitol View Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.5% of Iowa elementary schools.

What district is Capitol View Elementary School in?

Des Moines Independent 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.