West Des Moines Community School

About

The West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) is a highly-ranked accredited public school district in Iowa with approximately 9,000 students in grades K-12.

Story

West Des Moines Community Schools (WDMCS) has been inspiring joy in learning for more than 100 years. We are a caring community that knows every child as an individual and offers them a place to belong. With approximately 9,000 students, around 1,200 employees, and 13 schools, we can provide each student with the opportunities and resources they need to succeed.

The West Des Moines Community Schools serves more than 55,000 Iowa residents in West Des Moines, Clive, Urbandale, Windsor Heights, Waukee, and Des Moines. Covering 36.6 square miles, the district developed around a former railroad center, Valley Junction, and is part of a vibrant suburban area directly bordering Des Moines, the capital city of Iowa. A public school district accredited by the Iowa Department of Education, the WDMCS is the 11th-largest district in the state.

Mission

Mission
Working in partnership with each family and the community, it is the mission of the district to educate responsible, lifelong learners so that each student possesses the skills, knowledge, creativity, sense of self-worth and values necessary to thrive in and contribute to a diverse and changing world.

Shared Vision
The West Des Moines Community Schools will be a caring community of learners that knows and lifts every child. We will inspire joy in learning. Our schools will excel at preparing each student for his or her life journey.

District Goals
Using the Mission Statement as our foundation and the Guiding Principles to inform our actions, the district will work toward the realization of the Shared Vision by accomplishing the following goals as set forth by the Board of Education:
1. Close the gap between present practices and the Shared Vision.
2. Improve student achievement through effective instructional and assessment practices.