Ames runs one high school for the entire city. That's unusual at this size, and it simplifies things: whatever elementary your address feeds, the path ends at Ames High. Below that sit five K-5 elementaries and a single 6-8 middle school, plus Ames Online for grades 6-12. Here's the complete building list, straight from the Iowa Department of Education directory.
The Ames district serves roughly 4,500 students with an unusually simple structure for its size: five K-5 elementaries, one middle school and one high school, plus an online program for grades 6-12. Every student in the city converges on the same middle and high school, which removes most of the boundary guesswork a comparable suburb would put in front of you.
Every public school building physically inside Ames city limits, and the grades each one serves. Attendance is assigned by address, not by city line - verify the zone for the exact property before you write an offer.
| School | Grades | District |
|---|---|---|
| High schools | ||
| Ames High School | 9-12 | Ames CSD |
| Ames Online (online) | 6-12 | Ames CSD |
| Middle and junior high schools | ||
| Ames Middle School | 6-8 | Ames CSD |
| Elementary and intermediate schools | ||
| Edwards Elementary School | K-5 | Ames CSD |
| Fellows Elementary School | K-5 | Ames CSD |
| Meeker Elementary School | K-5 | Ames CSD |
| Mitchell Elementary School | K-5 | Ames CSD |
| Sawyer Elementary School | K-5 | Ames CSD |
| Preschool | ||
| Northwood Pre-School | PK-PK | Ames CSD |
Source: Iowa Department of Education, 2026-27 public school building directory.
Your elementary, and only up to a point. Ames zones its five K-5 buildings, so the address matters there - but every path converges on one middle school and one high school. That makes Ames simpler than most metro districts: you are choosing an elementary and a commute, not a twelve-year track. Boundaries still shift as the city grows, so verify the zone for the exact property.
Ames vs Gilbert: Gilbert ranks slightly higher on standardized academic metrics. Ames is larger, with university partnerships and arts programs.
Ames vs Ballard (Huxley): Smaller district, more rural feel. Ames offers more program depth + Iowa State proximity.
9 of Ames CSD’s 9 buildings sit inside Ames. Check any of it yourself:
Ames is served by the Ames Community School District. 9 of its 9 school buildings are located inside Ames.
9 public school buildings sit inside Ames. The high and middle schools are Ames High School (grades 9-12), Ames Online (grades 6-12), Ames Middle School (grades 6-8), plus 6 elementary and early-learning buildings listed in full on this page. This list comes from the Iowa Department of Education 2026-27 building directory.
Ames has 5 elementary buildings and the assignment is made by address: Edwards Elementary School, Fellows Elementary School, Meeker Elementary School, Mitchell Elementary School, Sawyer Elementary School. Boundaries change as the district grows, so verify the zone for the exact property.
Buyers weighing Ames usually have one or two other towns on the list. Each of these is the same guide for that city, built from the same state directory:
Wherever you land, I'm happy to help you weigh the school zones and the trade-offs that come with each - no pressure, no sales pitch. A quick 15-minute conversation is often all it takes to point you in the right direction:
Jackson Krile is a REALTOR® on the Flanders Team at RE/MAX Real Estate Center. Licensed in Iowa #S66867000. DMAAR + CIBR member.
Attendance boundaries are set by Ames Community School District and can change - always confirm the current boundary for any specific address with the district before you write an offer. For a sense of the housing itself, my listing at 821 Clark Ave in Old Town Ames is a 2 bed / 2 bath, 1,486 sq ft home at $265,000 that recently went under contract.
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