Clive is split between two school districts, and neither one has a high school in Clive. Waukee-district addresses head to Waukee for the upper grades; West Des Moines-district addresses go to Valley Southwoods and Valley. Inside city limits there are exactly three school buildings. Two homes a few blocks apart can land in different districts entirely, which makes verifying the specific address matter more here than almost anywhere in the metro.
Clive addresses fall into either the Waukee district or the West Des Moines district, and the boundary runs through the city rather than around it. Only three school buildings sit inside Clive: Shuler Elementary on the Waukee side, plus Crestview School of Inquiry and Indian Hills Junior High on the West Des Moines side. Everything above grade 8 is in another town.
Clive is split across 2 school districts: Waukee CSD, West Des Moines CSD. Every building physically inside the city limits is listed below, with the district that operates it. Attendance is assigned by address, not by city line - verify the zone for the exact property before you write an offer.
| School | Grades | District |
|---|---|---|
| Middle and junior high schools | ||
| Indian Hills Junior High School | 7-8 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Elementary and intermediate schools | ||
| Crestview School of Inquiry | PK-6 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Shuler Elementary School | K-5 | Waukee CSD |
Source: Iowa Department of Education, 2026-27 public school building directory.
No high-school or middle-school building sits inside Clive for Waukee CSD students. Those grades are served from: Northwest High School (10-12) in Waukee · Prairieview School (9-9) in Waukee · Trailridge School (9-9) in Waukee · Waukee High School (10-12) in Waukee · North Middle School (6-8) in Waukee · South Middle School (6-8) in Waukee · Timberline Middle School (6-8) in Waukee · Waukee Middle School (6-8) in Waukee.
Waukee CSD's other elementary buildings and preschools are in Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines. A Clive address can feed those too.
No high-school building sits inside Clive for West Des Moines CSD students. Those grades are served from: Valley High School (9-12) in West Des Moines · Valley Southwoods (9-9) in West Des Moines.
Also in West Des Moines CSD, outside Clive: Stilwell Junior High School (7-8) in West Des Moines · Clive Learning Academy (PK-6) in Des Moines · Crossroads Park Elementary School (PK-6) in West Des Moines · Fairmeadows Elementary School (PK-6) in West Des Moines · Hillside Elementary School (PK-6) in West Des Moines · Jordan Creek Elementary School (PK-6) in West Des Moines · Western Hills Elementary School (PK-6) in West Des Moines · Westridge Elementary (PK-6) in West Des Moines. A Clive address can feed any of these.
Which district the address is in, full stop. Clive is split between Waukee and West Des Moines Community, and that single fact determines every building from kindergarten through graduation - including which town your child attends high school in, since neither district has a high school in Clive. Two homes on the same street can differ. Verify the address with the district office, not a listing remark.
Clive vs Waukee proper: Same Waukee district. Clive has more established neighborhoods; Waukee has more new construction.
Clive vs West Des Moines proper: Same WDM district (for Valley-zoned Clive). Clive tends to carry lower price points for comparable housing.
3 buildings sit inside Clive across 2 districts, which is why the district office - not the city name - is the authority on any given address.
Clive is served by 2 districts: Waukee Community School District and West Des Moines Community School District. The boundary runs through the city, so which district applies depends on the exact address rather than the city name.
3 public school buildings sit inside Clive: Indian Hills Junior High School (grades 7-8), Crestview School of Inquiry (grades PK-6), Shuler Elementary School (grades K-5). This list comes from the Iowa Department of Education 2026-27 building directory.
First the address decides the district, then the district decides the building. Waukee CSD runs Shuler Elementary School; West Des Moines CSD runs Crestview School of Inquiry. Verify both with the district office before you write an offer.
Waukee CSD splits the upper grades. Ninth graders attend a dedicated building - Prairieview School, Trailridge School - and grade 10 begins at Northwest High School (10-12) or Waukee High School (10-12), all in Waukee.
Buyers weighing Clive 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:
I help Clive families sort out the school-zone side of buying just about every week - and with the Waukee-versus-Valley question, that's usually worth a conversation. I'm happy to help you weigh the school zones against what you're looking for - no pressure, no obligation. A quick 15-minute call is usually all it takes.
Jackson Krile is a REALTOR® on the Flanders Team at RE/MAX Real Estate Center. Licensed in Iowa #S66867000. DMAAR + CIBR member.
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