West Des Moines is split mainly between two districts, and the Waukee side has only elementaries inside the city. Waukee Community runs Brookview, Woodland Hills and Maple Grove here, then sends those students to Waukee from sixth grade on. West Des Moines Community runs Valley, Valley Southwoods, both junior highs and eight elementaries across the district. A small far-southwest corner of the city falls in a third district, Van Meter Community; by US Census Bureau school-district maps, the city's Warren County part is in Norwalk Community, its small Madison County part in Winterset Community and a pocket on the east side in Des Moines Public Schools. The boundaries run through the city, so verify the address rather than the city name.
Six public school districts serve West Des Moines, depending on the address:
Because the boundary runs through the city, two homes a few blocks apart can feed different districts entirely. That's the single biggest thing to verify before you fall for a house. For objective outcomes, the Iowa Department of Education's School Performance Profiles tool is the place to look. If Ankeny is also in the running, my look at West Des Moines or Ankeny side by side compares housing, commutes and amenities.
The buildings inside West Des Moines belong to 2 school districts: Waukee CSD, West Des Moines CSD. Four more - Van Meter CSD (a small far-southwest corner), Norwalk CSD (the Warren County part), Winterset CSD (the small Madison County part) and Des Moines Public Schools (a pocket on the east side) - serve the city's edges from buildings outside it. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| High schools | ||
| Valley High School | 9-12 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Valley Southwoods | 9-9 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Middle and junior high schools | ||
| Stilwell Junior High School | 7-8 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Elementary and intermediate schools | ||
| Brookview Elementary School | K-5 | Waukee CSD |
| Crossroads Park Elementary School | PK-6 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Fairmeadows Elementary School | PK-6 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Hillside Elementary School | PK-6 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Jordan Creek Elementary School | PK-6 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Maple Grove Elementary School | K-5 | Waukee CSD |
| Western Hills Elementary School | PK-6 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Westridge Elementary | PK-6 | West Des Moines CSD |
| Woodland Hills 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 West Des Moines 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 Clive, Urbandale and Waukee. A West Des Moines address can feed those too.
Also in West Des Moines CSD, outside West Des Moines: Indian Hills Junior High School (7-8) in Clive · Clive Learning Academy (PK-6) in Des Moines · Crestview School of Inquiry (PK-6) in Clive. A West Des Moines address can feed any of these.
Dowling Catholic High School, a private high school, is located in West Des Moines and draws students from across the region.
12 buildings sit inside West Des Moines across 2 districts, which is why the district office - not the city name - is the authority on any given address.
West Des Moines is served mainly by 2 districts: the West Des Moines Community School District (the Polk County part of the city) and the Waukee Community School District (most of the Dallas County part). By US Census Bureau school-district maps, a small far-southwest corner falls in the Van Meter Community School District, the city's Warren County part in the Norwalk Community School District, its small Madison County part in the Winterset Community School District and a pocket on the east side in Des Moines Public Schools. District lines run through the city, so which district applies depends on the exact address rather than the city name.
12 public school buildings sit inside West Des Moines. The high and middle schools are Valley High School (grades 9-12), Valley Southwoods (grade 9), Stilwell Junior High School (grades 7-8), plus 9 elementary and early-learning buildings listed in full on this page. 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 Brookview Elementary School, Maple Grove Elementary School, Woodland Hills Elementary School; West Des Moines CSD runs Crossroads Park Elementary School, Fairmeadows Elementary School, Hillside Elementary School, Jordan Creek Elementary School, Western Hills Elementary School and 1 more. 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 West Des Moines 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 districts 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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