Budget & finance
District profile / Iowa
West Des Moines Community School District
9,110
Students
2024-25 school year
14
Schools
2024-25 school year
$13,150
Spending per student
FY2020-21 · 13% above the Iowa median
14.5
Students per teacher
2024-25 · Iowa median 14.4
West Des Moines Community School District is a public school district based in West Des Moines, Iowa, serving 9,110 students in 14 schools. By enrollment it ranks #10 of the 124 Iowa districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 93% of them. Its schools average 651 students each, more than the Iowa median of 419. It spends about $13,150 per student on day-to-day operations, 13% more than the Iowa median. It has roughly 14.5 students per teacher. We've matched 1 news story to the district.
How West Des Moines Community compares
West Des Moines CommunityIowa median, districts with 1,000+ students
Spending and staffing
Where the money comes from$152.8 million in revenue · FY2020-21
Federal 7%State 41%Local 52%
| Measure | West Des Moines Community | Iowa median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $13,150 | $11,630 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $8,590 | $7,379 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $144.3 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $152.8 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 628 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 1,281 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 14.5 | 14.4 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 434 | 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
1 story matchedPeer districts in Iowa
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Community School DistrictWaterloo | 10,635 | 18 | $12,799 | 13.4 | #8 |
| Dubuque Community School DistrictDubuque | 10,262 | 19 | $12,886 | 13.1 | #9 |
| West Des Moines Community School DistrictWest Des Moines · this district | 9,110 | 14 | $13,150 | 14.5 | #10 |
| Council Bluffs Community School DistrictCouncil Bluffs | 8,347 | 15 | $13,560 | 14.8 | #11 |
| Southeast Polk Community School DistrictAltoona | 7,501 | 11 | $11,969 | 15.1 | #12 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schenectady City School DistrictSchenectady, NY | 9,117 | $19,604 | 11.5 |
| Farmington Public School DistrictFarmington, MI | 9,110 | $14,593 | 14.5 |
| Yuma Elementary District (4499)Yuma, AZ | 9,102 | $8,636 | 19.6 |
| Oshkosh Area School DistrictOshkosh, WI | 9,101 | $13,997 | 12.3 |
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-west-des-moines-community-school-district