Cornell Elementary School
Des Moines, IA 50313
Phone: (515) 244-8173
District: Saydel Community School District
GreatSchools Rating
public • Grades PK-4 • 531 students
Cornell Elementary School, located in Des Moines, Iowa, serves grades PK-4 in the Saydel Community School District. Based on its state test results, it has received a GreatSchools Rating of 4 out of 10.
Cornell Elementary School is a public school located in Des Moines, IA. 531 students attend Cornell Elementary School.
School Ratings
| Category | Rating | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Test Scores | 7/10 | The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Iowa Assessment data from Iowa Department of Education. |
| Student Growth | 8/10 | The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from Iowa Department of Education. |
Posted: October 30, 2025
Posted: October 30, 2025
Posted: October 30, 2025
Posted: October 30, 2025
Posted: October 30, 2025
Posted: October 30, 2025
Posted: October 30, 2025
Posted: October 30, 2025
If you want your child to be bullied, nothing to happen to fix the issues, and attacked and injured by other students without any notification sent to you about these situations, then this is the school for you. Between the lack of communication, failure to take accountability for mistakes and total un professionalism of the staff this school wins the award for biggest failure of Desmoines. And no, over staffing is not an issue considering my child has a 5.6-1 student to teacher ratio. Oh and never speak up on issues your having, or your child will be the constant target and disliked by his teachers if you choose to be vocal and request changes being made. Example: not having said bully sitting directly next to your child. I wouldnt recommend this school to my worst enemy, and if your child happens to have special needs or any sort of education plan, sorry they dont provide the resources for that either. Expect constant phone calls to pick your student up, or plan on them spending the majority of the day in isolation.
Posted: February 13, 2013
I believe that Cornell is an above average elementary being that it is the only elementary school in the area. My daughter tends to like the kids and the environment of the elementary. However, she has had physical issues with her current kindergarten teacher. Grabbing and squeezing kids hands when they are misbehaving and she seems to have a chip on her shoulder or becomes too upset for 5 year old KIDS . If your child attends any school in the Saydel district, the parent should frequently ask their child how everything is going or reach out to them when you notice habitual notes coming home frequently for "misbehaving." I attended the high school only and I would say the district has a bad habit of playing favorites for the children and promoting "clicks" in their learning environment.
Reviews provided by GreatSchools™
| # | Name | Type | City | State | Overall Rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copper Creek | Neighborhood/Subdivision | Pleasant Hill | IA | 6.2 mi |
| # | Name | City | State | Overall Rating | Distance |
|---|
| Base | Distance |
|---|---|
| Camp Dodge | 5.2 mi. |
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