Willowbrook Elementary

Q: Is Willowbrook Elementary a good school?

Willowbrook Elementary ranks 413 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Willowbrook Elementary is a public elementary school located in Altoona, Iowa, serving grades PK-5 with a student population of 533. It is part of the Southeast Polk Community School District, which is ranked 112 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Willowbrook Elementary's academic performance, as measured by ISASP test scores, is generally lower than the Southeast Polk Community School District and the state of Iowa averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts was 42.9% at Willowbrook, compared to 68.1% for the district and 64.2% for the state. Willowbrook Elementary's statewide ranking has also steadily declined over the past several years, from 198 out of 603 Iowa elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 413 out of 557 in 2023-2024. When comparing Willowbrook Elementary to other nearby schools within the Southeast Polk Community School District, it consistently underperforms on academic measures like ISASP test scores.

The higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at Willowbrook Elementary, 50.47% in the 2022-2023 school year, may be a contributing factor to its lower academic performance. This is higher than nearby schools like Four Mile Elementary (35.61%) and Centennial Elementary (35.95%). Targeted interventions and support programs focused on improving academic achievement, particularly in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics, could help the school address these disparities and improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

300 17th Ave SW
Altoona, IA 50009

(515) 967-7512

District: Southeast Polk Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
413^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,785

Students who attend Willowbrook Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Southeast Polk Junior High
	Spring Creek - 6th Grade
High:	Southeast Polk High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.3

Number of students: 546

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.0%

African American:

11.4%

Hispanic:

11.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 52.4%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Willowbrook Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Willowbrook Elementary ranks worse than 74.1% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks last among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.23. (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 Racial makeup is: White (63%), African American (11.4%), Hispanic (11.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 52.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Willowbrook Elementary is 14.3. 5 elementary schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Willowbrook Elementary employs 38 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Willowbrook Elementary is $13,785. 6 elementary schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Southeast Polk Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Southeast Polk Community School District 112^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Willowbrook Elementary

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	67.88	174^th	626	72.2%
2013	64.34	227^th	624	63.6%
2014	65.59	223^rd	603	63.0%
2015	68.40	207^th	616	66.4%
2016	54.38	331^st	599	44.7%
2017	56.36	300^th	574	47.7%
2018	59.21	264^th	567	53.4%
2019	67.26	198^th	603	67.2%
2021	55.97	277^th	567	51.1%
2022	52.03	314^th	574	45.3%
2023	44.22	371^st	565	34.3%
2024	35.23	413^th	557	25.9%

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 Willowbrook Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1992	374	1	8	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	388
1993	367	2	7	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	384
1994	352	2	7	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	370
1995	489	1	4	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
1996	489	1	4	21	0	n/a	n/a	0	515
1997	477	1	5	18	2	n/a	n/a	0	503
1998	503	2	9	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	522
1999	475	1	3	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	488
2000	512	11	5	11	0	n/a	n/a	-28	511
2001	485	13	3	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	515
2002	481	18	1	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	511
2003	481	18	1	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	511
2004	462	19	1	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	493
2005	465	10	3	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	496
2006	457	13	3	19	2	n/a	n/a	0	494
2007	487	15	3	20	2	n/a	n/a	0	527
2008	464	11	5	18	2	n/a	n/a	0	500
2009	440	10	7	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	475
2010	433	9	6	13	1	1	3	0	466
2011	376	8	11	20	2	3	10	0	430
2012	380	5	9	21	1	5	16	0	437
2013	430	21	11	29	2	6	27	0	526
2014	423	20	11	26	1	6	24	0	511
2015	401	34	14	26	1	7	29	0	512
2016	461	31	14	31	1	4	28	0	570
2017	440	36	12	31	3	5	26	0	553
2018	413	50	12	34	2	3	39	0	553
2019	385	49	10	28	2	2	45	0	521
2020	377	49	8	37	1	8	49	0	529
2021	363	44	5	40	0	5	47	0	504
2022	369	39	11	37	0	7	47	0	510
2023	353	51	15	54	0	8	52	0	533
2024	344	62	17	61	1	6	55	0	546

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 Willowbrook Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	388	22.0	17.6	5.4
1993	384	16.8	22.9	6
1994	370	17.0	21.8	4.1
1995	515	29.5	17.5	6.8
1996	515	29.5	17.5	6.8
1997	503	30.5	16.5	6.4
1998	522	32.8	15.9	7.9
1999	488	28.1	17.4	14.8
2000	511	32.1	15.9	12.1
2001	515	31.1	16.6	9.9
2002	511	31.3	16.3	14.1
2003	511	31.3	16.3	14.1
2004	493	26.9	18.3	12.2
2005	496	27.9	17.8	12.9
2006	494	31.4	15.7	11.3
2007	527	32.7	16.1	11.4
2008	500	31.4	15.9	12.4
2009	475	31.6	15.0	17.1
2010	466	30.6	15.2	26.2
2011	430	27.0	15.9	28.6
2012	437	29.4	14.8	29.3
2013	526	29.3	17.8	36.9
2014	511	32.7	15.6	38.9
2015	512	33.0	15.5	39.8
2016	570	35.0	16.2	40.4
2017	553	36.1	15.2	37.4
2018	553	35.0	15.8	39.1
2019	521	35.0	14.8	39.2
2020	529	35.0	15.1	41
2021	504	35.0	14.4	44.6
2022	510	36.0	14.1	40.8
2023	533	35.0	15.2	50.5
2024	546	38.0	14.3	52.4

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 Willowbrook Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1992	388	22.0	17.6	5.4
1993	384	16.8	22.9	6
1994	370	17.0	21.8	4.1
1995	515	29.5	17.5	6.8
1996	515	29.5	17.5	6.8
1997	503	30.5	16.5	6.4
1998	522	32.8	15.9	7.9
1999	488	28.1	17.4	14.8
2000	511	32.1	15.9	12.1
2001	515	31.1	16.6	9.9
2002	511	31.3	16.3	14.1
2003	511	31.3	16.3	14.1
2004	493	26.9	18.3	12.2
2005	496	27.9	17.8	12.9
2006	494	31.4	15.7	11.3
2007	527	32.7	16.1	11.4
2008	500	31.4	15.9	12.4
2009	475	31.6	15.0	17.1
2010	466	30.6	15.2	26.2
2011	430	27.0	15.9	28.6
2012	437	29.4	14.8	29.3
2013	526	29.3	17.8	36.9
2014	511	32.7	15.6	38.9
2015	512	33.0	15.5	39.8
2016	570	35.0	16.2	40.4
2017	553	36.1	15.2	37.4
2018	553	35.0	15.8	39.1
2019	521	35.0	14.8	39.2
2020	529	35.0	15.1	41
2021	504	35.0	14.4	44.6
2022	510	36.0	14.1	40.8
2023	533	35.0	15.2	50.5
2024	546	38.0	14.3	52.4

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 Willowbrook Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$487 (3.5%)	$13,298 (96.5%)	$13,785

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Willowbrook 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 198^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 371^st of 565 Elementary schools	32.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Willowbrook Elementary)	61.9	55.4	6.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	76.6	73.5	3.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Willowbrook Elementary)	77.4	67.6	9.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	82	81.9	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Willowbrook Elementary)	69.1	64.9	4.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	80.4	78.6	1.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Willowbrook Elementary)	81.5	73	8.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	85.1	84.8	0.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Willowbrook Elementary)	81	60.6	20.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	81.3	75.8	5.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Willowbrook Elementary)	87	83.1	3.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	84.8	85.1	0.3%
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	521	533	2.3%
African American	49	51	4.1%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	10	15	50%
Hispanic	28	54	92.9%
Pacific Islander	2	8	300%
White	385	353	8.3%
Two or More Races	45	52	15.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39.2%	50.5%	11.3%

Schools Near Willowbrook 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
Willowbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 17th Ave SW	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 967-7512	546	38	14.3	52.4%	344 (63.0%)	62 (11.4%)	61 (11.2%)	17 (3.1%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.1%)	55 (10.1%)	35.2	413^th of 557 public elementary schools	25.9%		44.2	371^st of 565 public elementary schools	34.3%	42	42.9	66.3	67.6	70.2	68.8	62.0	59.2	$13,785	$487	$13,298
Altoona Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 6th St SW	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 967-3771	423	35	12.0	53.2%	289 (68.3%)	58 (13.7%)	42 (9.9%)	9 (2.1%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	21 (5.0%)	73.5	122^nd of 557 public elementary schools	78.1%		70.6	164^th of 565 public elementary schools	71.0%	42	62.7	80.6	84.3	78.4	79.0	91.3	73.5	$14,305	$587	$13,718
Centennial Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	910 7th Ave SE	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-2109	409	32	12.6	37.4%	314 (76.8%)	18 (4.4%)	38 (9.3%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (8.1%)	77.2	86^th of 557 public elementary schools	84.6%		78.6	96^th of 565 public elementary schools	83.0%	10	77.4	81.3	73.8	85.5	85.9	90.2	70.5	$15,221	$767	$14,454
Delaware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 E 46th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 262-3197	423	35	12.0	46.1%	264 (62.4%)	52 (12.3%)	53 (12.5%)	26 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.6%)	72.2	138^th of 557 public elementary schools	75.2%		76.7	109^th of 565 public elementary schools	80.7%	29	80.3	80.3	76.6	88.5	77.8	73.4	71.0	$15,865	$1,352	$14,513
Clay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3200 First Avenue S.	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-4198	670	40	16.6	33.6%	442 (66.0%)	70 (10.4%)	91 (13.6%)	17 (2.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (7.2%)	61	242^nd of 557 public elementary schools	56.6%		61.2	231^st of 565 public elementary schools	59.1%	11	64.3	68.4	82.0	76.5	76.8	76.0	69.0	$12,723	$186	$12,537
Brubaker Elementary School	Public	K-5	2900 E 42nd Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8405	618	51	12.1	75.2%	228 (36.9%)	124 (20.1%)	178 (28.8%)	23 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	62 (10.0%)	2.6	547^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.8%		6.5	536^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.1%	11	33.7	51.4	31.3	44.6	34.9	32.5	25.0	$16,004	$1,458	$14,547
Morris Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	600 Garfield St. SW	Bondurant	50035	Polk County	Bondurant-Farrar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 967-6361	605	42	14.3	14.7%	491 (81.2%)	29 (4.8%)	49 (8.1%)	7 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	26 (4.3%)								(n/a)								$9,744	$410	$9,334
Anderson Elementary School	Public	2-4	400 Garfield St. SW	Bondurant	50035	Polk County	Bondurant-Farrar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-7494	522	33	15.6	20.5%	438 (83.9%)	13 (2.5%)	42 (8.0%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	22 (4.2%)	61	241^st of 557 public elementary schools	56.7%		43.2	376^th of 565 public elementary schools	33.5%	135	65.8	79.0		78.7	76.6			$9,609	$215	$9,394
McKee Elementary School	Public	PK	2115 E 39th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 323-8628	263	13	20.2	71.5%	122 (46.4%)	38 (14.4%)	66 (25.1%)	12 (4.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (9.1%)								(n/a)
Stowe Elementary School	Public	K-5	1411 E 33rd St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8435	311	25	12.5	77.8%	107 (34.4%)	59 (19.0%)	109 (35.0%)	11 (3.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.4%)	2	548^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.6%		2.2	558^th of 565 public elementary schools	1.2%	10	28.1	38.2	27.5	25.0	23.5	49.0	17.6	$17,791	$1,908	$15,883

Frequently Asked Questions about Willowbrook Elementary

What schools do graduates of Willowbrook Elementary attend?

Students who attend Willowbrook Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southeast Polk Junior High
Middle : Spring Creek - 6th Grade
High : Southeast Polk High School

What district is Willowbrook Elementary in?

Southeast Polk Community School District

Is Willowbrook Elementary a good school?

Willowbrook Elementary ranks 413^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Willowbrook Elementary?

Students at Willowbrook Elementary are 63% White, 11% African American, 11% Hispanic, 10% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander.

How many students attend Willowbrook Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 546 students attended Willowbrook Elementary.

Rate Willowbrook Elementary!

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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.