Des Moines Independent Community School District
Des Moines Independent Community School District is a public school district based in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 30,048 students in 59 schools. By enrollment it ranks #1 of the 124 Iowa districts with 1,000 or more students, making it the largest in the state. Its schools average 509 students each, more than the Iowa median of 419. It spends about $13,949 per student on day-to-day operations, 20% more than the Iowa median. It has roughly 14.5 students per teacher.
How Des Moines Independent Community compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Des Moines Independent Community | Iowa median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $13,949 | $11,630 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,994 | $7,379 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $513.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $590.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 2,066 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 4,774 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 14.5 | 14.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 316 | 375 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Iowa median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
In the news
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Peer districts in Iowa
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Independent Community School DistrictDes Moines · this district | 30,048 | 59 | $13,949 | 14.5 | #1 |
| Cedar Rapids Community School DistrictCedar Rapids | 15,224 | 31 | $13,580 | 14.4 | #2 |
| Iowa City Community School DistrictIowa City | 15,013 | 28 | $12,543 | 13.8 | #3 |
| Sioux City Community School DistrictSioux City | 14,475 | 21 | $11,340 | 15.0 | #4 |
| Waukee Community School DistrictWaukee | 13,917 | 19 | $11,159 | 16.0 | #5 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo City School DistrictBuffalo, NY | 30,077 | $21,561 | 10.5 |
| Alvin ISDAlvin, TX | 30,038 | $9,938 | 15.2 |
| Minneapolis Public SchoolsMinneapolis, MN | 29,928 | $18,090 | 11.9 |
| Comal ISDNew Braunfels, TX | 29,839 | $9,415 | 15.3 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-ia-des-moines-independent-community-school-district