Waukee moves students through four buildings, not three. Elementaries run K-5, middle schools take 6-8, ninth grade has its own buildings in Prairieview and Trailridge, and the two high schools start at grade 10. The district also runs elementaries in Clive, Urbandale and West Des Moines, so plenty of Waukee-district homes aren't in Waukee. Here's every building inside the city, and where the rest of the district sits. One thing to check first: part of Waukee's south side is in the Van Meter district instead (US Census Bureau school-district maps).
Waukee serves 13,917 students (2024-25, NCES Common Core of Data) across PreK-12, and it has kept building to stay ahead of its growth - a second high school, dedicated ninth-grade buildings, and elementaries in Clive, Urbandale and West Des Moines as well as Waukee itself. Thirteen of its twenty buildings sit inside the city.
Every public school building physically inside Waukee 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 | ||
| Northwest High School | 10-12 | Waukee CSD |
| Prairieview School | 9-9 | Waukee CSD |
| Trailridge School | 9-9 | Waukee CSD |
| Waukee High School | 10-12 | Waukee CSD |
| Middle and junior high schools | ||
| North Middle School | 6-8 | Waukee CSD |
| South Middle School | 6-8 | Waukee CSD |
| Timberline Middle School | 6-8 | Waukee CSD |
| Waukee Middle School | 6-8 | Waukee CSD |
| Elementary and intermediate schools | ||
| Eason Elementary School | K-5 | Waukee CSD |
| Grant Ragan Elementary School | K-5 | Waukee CSD |
| Sugar Creek Elementary School | K-5 | Waukee CSD |
| Waukee Elementary School | K-5 | Waukee CSD |
| Preschool | ||
| Vince Meyer Early Learning Center | PK-PK | Waukee CSD |
Source: Iowa Department of Education, 2026-27 public school building directory.
Also in Waukee CSD, outside Waukee: Brookview Elementary School (K-5) in West Des Moines · Maple Grove Elementary School (K-5) in West Des Moines · Radiant Elementary School (K-5) in Urbandale · Shuler Elementary School (K-5) in Clive · Walnut Hills Elementary School (K-5) in Urbandale · Waterford Elementary School (K-5) in Urbandale · Woodland Hills Elementary School (K-5) in West Des Moines. A Waukee address can feed any of these.
Your elementary, and then three more transitions. Waukee zones its K-5 buildings, then students move to a 6-8 middle school, a ninth-grade building, and finally one of two high schools at grade 10. Waukee is still growing and redraws boundaries regularly - confirm the current zone, not last year's.
Waukee vs West Des Moines (Valley): The Waukee district enrolls 13,917 students (2024-25, NCES Common Core of Data) and is still adding buildings, which brings more frequent boundary adjustments. Compare both on the Iowa DOE School Performance Profiles.
Waukee vs Johnston: Waukee enrolls 13,917 students and Johnston 7,373 (2024-25, NCES Common Core of Data); Waukee is still adding buildings, which brings ongoing zone changes. Compare outcomes on the Iowa DOE School Performance Profiles.
13 of Waukee CSD’s 20 buildings sit inside Waukee, and 7 sit in neighboring towns. Check any of it yourself:
Most of Waukee is served by the Waukee Community School District. By US Census Bureau school-district maps, part of the south side is in the Van Meter Community School District and a small area at the west edge is in the Adel-DeSoto-Minburn Community School District. 13 of the Waukee district's 20 school buildings are inside Waukee. Confirm the district for a specific address.
13 public school buildings sit inside Waukee. The high and middle schools are Northwest High School (grades 10-12), Prairieview School (grade 9), Trailridge School (grade 9), Waukee High School (grades 10-12), North Middle School (grades 6-8), South Middle School (grades 6-8), Timberline Middle School (grades 6-8), Waukee Middle School (grades 6-8), plus 5 elementary and early-learning buildings listed in full on this page. This list comes from the Iowa Department of Education 2026-27 building directory.
Waukee has 4 elementary buildings and the assignment is made by address: Eason Elementary School, Grant Ragan Elementary School, Sugar Creek Elementary School, Waukee Elementary School. Boundaries change as the district grows, so verify the zone for the exact property.
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 Waukee 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.
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