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Public school · Des Moines Independent Comm School District · Des Moines, Iowa

Ruby Van Meter

Ruby Van Meter rates 3.0 on our ten-point scale and ranks 1,249 of 1,284 schools in Iowa.

Schools, 1 to 10This campus on our ten-point scale.
3.0this school

3.0 on a one-to-ten scale.

#1,249 of 1,284 schools in Iowa

The brief

A Des Moines Independent Comm School District school where students score 60 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 1,249 of 1,284 schools in Iowa and 55 of 59 in Des Moines Independent Comm School District.

Ruby Van Meter is listed in Des Moines Independent Comm School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math0%68 points below the Iowa average of 68%Grades 10–11 · 24 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Reading5%68 points below the Iowa average of 73%Grades 10–11 · 24 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Proficiency is down 13 points across the 8-year record (2018–2025) and has held near 2% recently.2025 ISASP; 15 test records from IA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
2.3
25% of the rating
Academics
1.1
25% of the rating
College Readiness
4.4
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.1
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 4% (multi-year average, 2018-2025) · reading/ELA 10% (multi-year average, 2018-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 50312; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2018-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Ruby Van Meter and the 20 nearest schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$82,720
Median home value
$274,400
Median rent
$1,057/mo
College educated
61.9%
Homeownership
64.5%
Poverty rate
8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 50312; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
70
Very Walkable
Transit Score
37
Some Transit
Bike Score
47
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,465/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Des Moines. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Des Moines), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
58.9%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Ruby Van Meter serve?

Ruby Van Meter serves students in grades Kindergarten through 12th.

How many students attend Ruby Van Meter?

Ruby Van Meter has an enrollment of approximately 112 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ruby Van Meter?

The student-teacher ratio at Ruby Van Meter is 5.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Ruby Van Meter rank in IA?

Ruby Van Meter ranks #1,249 of 1,284 schools in IA.

What is Ruby Van Meter's MySchoolScout rating?

Ruby Van Meter has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.0 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Ruby Van Meter?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Ruby Van Meter has 4% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2018-2025) and 10% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2018-2025).

Is Ruby Van Meter a charter school?

No, Ruby Van Meter is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Ruby Van Meter a Title I school?

No, Ruby Van Meter is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Ruby Van Meter?

58.9% of students at Ruby Van Meter qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
Kindergarten – 12th
Enrollment
112
Student-teacher ratio
5.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
22
Type
Special_ed
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Polk County
4-year graduation
<50%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#55 of 59
Schools in district
59
District spending per student
$15,518
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
21.3%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 50312)
15,492
Area average commute
15.8 min
Area median age
40.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Iowa Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.