Samuelson Elementary School

Des Moines Independent Comm School District

386 Students

Elementary School K - 5th

School Overview

Samuelson Elementary School, located on Bel-Aire Road in Des Moines, Iowa, is a public school serving students in the Des Moines Independent Community School District. The school is known for its commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment, focusing on foundational academic skills while fostering the social-emotional development of its diverse student body. Like many schools in the district, Samuelson emphasizes community involvement and partnerships to support student success both inside and outside the classroom.

The school offers a structured curriculum designed to meet state standards, with dedicated programs aimed at literacy, mathematics, and science. Beyond core academics, Samuelson places a strong value on building a positive school culture where students are encouraged to be respectful, responsible, and safe. Through a combination of supportive teaching staff, parent engagement, and extracurricular opportunities, the school strives to prepare its young learners for a successful transition to middle school and beyond.

386

Total Students

30.6

Full-Time Teachers

12.6

Student/Teacher Ratio

79.0%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Samuelson Elementary School
Demographic	Student Count
White	87
Hispanic	55
Black	95
Asian	118
Two or More	30
Pacific Islander	1

Asian
118 (30.6%)
Black
95 (24.6%)
White
87 (22.5%)
Hispanic
55 (14.2%)
Two or More
30 (7.8%)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.3%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	Supplemental Virtual
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Des Moines Independent Comm School District
Phone:	(515)242-8441
Grade Range:	K - 5th
Total Students:	386
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	30.6
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	12.6
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	272
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	33

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Kindergarten 68

Grade 1 61

Grade 2 63

Grade 3 63

Grade 4 56

Grade 5 75