Western Hills Elementary School

westernhills.wdmcs.org/

570 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 6th

School Overview

Western Hills Elementary School, located in West Des Moines, Iowa, is a key part of the West Des Moines Community School District. Dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment, the school focuses on the academic, social, and emotional growth of its diverse student body. By emphasizing core curriculum standards alongside character development, Western Hills aims to prepare its elementary-aged students for long-term success while encouraging them to become engaged members of their local community.

The school is recognized for its commitment to strong home-school partnerships, regularly encouraging family involvement to enhance the educational experience. Through a variety of extracurricular activities and a focus on collaborative teaching, Western Hills creates a dynamic classroom atmosphere that values student curiosity and achievement. As a neighborhood school, it serves as a central hub for the families of West Des Moines, prioritizing a safe, nurturing, and high-quality learning environment for every child.

570

Total Students

38.3

Full-Time Teachers

14.9

Student/Teacher Ratio

45.8%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Western Hills Elementary School
Demographic	Student Count
White	279
Hispanic	160
Black	61
Asian	28
Two or More	42

White
279 (48.9%)
Hispanic
160 (28.1%)
Black
61 (10.7%)
Two or More
42 (7.4%)
Asian
28 (4.9%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	West Des Moines Comm School District
Phone:	(515)633-5900
Website:	http://westernhills.wdmcs.org/
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 6th
Total Students:	570
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	38.3
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	14.9
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	207
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	54

* 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

Pre-Kindergarten 29

Kindergarten 74

Grade 1 74

Grade 2 74

Grade 3 79

Grade 4 82

Grade 5 78

Grade 6 80