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School district · Iowa · LEAID 1930930

West Des Moines Comm School District

West Des Moines Comm School District spends $21,477 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Iowa districts with a reliable figure. Per-pupil spending, enrollment, and budget for West Des Moines Comm School District come from the NCES Common Core of Data F-33 finance survey (FY2023).

$76,287
Est. avg teacher salary

Well above benchmark

$21,477
Per-pupil spending
9,120
Students enrolled
97th
Pct. in IA
$76,287

West Des Moines Comm School District spends $21,477 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Iowa districts with a reliable figure. Estimated average teacher salary is $76,287, above the national average of $70,245, serving 9,120 students (NCES CCD F-33, FY2023).

  • High per-pupil spending: West Des Moines Comm School District spends $21,477 per pupil, in the highest third among comparable Iowa districts with a reliable figure.
  • 97th percentile for Iowa
  • 69th percentile nationally
  • 28% of spending reaches instructional salaries
  • Iowa ranks #30 of 49 on the salary estimate and #29 of 49 on enrollment in the same reliable-district pool.
  • West Des Moines Comm School District ranks #9 of 303 Iowa districts by estimated teacher salary and #31 of 303 by per-pupil spending. Linn-Mar Comm School District pay #1 at $82,552 is not Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District spending #1 at $59,531 per pupil
  • +4.5% estimated-basis panel FY2019→FY2023 (not applied to the FTE figure above)

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Instructional payroll mix vs Iowa median

Among 327 Iowa districts that break out F-33 program salary totals, West Des Moines Comm School District's instructional payroll puts 17.1% into other programs , 3.3 points above the state median of 13.9%. The mix below is the district's own F-33 program split against the in-state median, not a quality score.

Program West Des IA median Gap
Regular program 67.1% 68.8% -1.7 pp
Special education 13.4% 12.6% +0.9 pp
Vocational programs 2.4% 4.7% -2.4 pp
Other programs 17.1% 13.9% +3.3 pp

Shares are of this district's reported F-33 teacher-salary program totals (Z35–Z38), compared with the median share across 327 in-state peers with a positive program sum. NCES LEAID 1930930 · FY2023.

LEAID 1930930 · NCES CCD F-33 FY2023

West Des F-33 compensation desk

SALARY-HIGH +20% vs state RANK-ST-TOP P97 in state RANK-NAT-MID P69 national PPE-MID $21K/pupil ENR-MID 9,120 students INSTR-LOW 28% instr BASIS-FTE FTE-reported PHOTO-NEAR Near Ottumwa FY-2023-MID FY2023 book

FY2023: $76,287 estimated average teacher salary · P97 in Iowa · P69 nationally · 28% instructional salary share. Nearest salary peer: Ottumwa (+$436est. salary).

Salary neighbourhood chart for West Des

Salary neighbourhood · West Des

West Des already leads most of its in-state peer set; the chart plots it against the top and bottom pay poles for context (NCES F-33 FY2023, not a full state reprint).

est. salary
Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey As of FY2023
Appropriate use & corrections
National salary distribution for West Des

West Des Moines Comm School District's estimated salary vs. every US district

NCES F-33 estimate, reliable-salary districts only

$76,287 Top 31% higher than 69% of 10,684 US districts

Show national distribution $30,000–$40,000: 155 US districts (1%). Below this entry. $40,000–$50,000: 1,360 US districts (13%). Below this entry. $50,000–$60,000: 2,382 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $60,000–$70,000: 2,402 US districts (22%). Below this entry. $70,000–$80,000: 1,633 US districts (15%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$90,000: 1,097 US districts (10%). Above this entry. $90,000–$100,000: 662 US districts (6%). Above this entry. $100,000–$110,000: 371 US districts (3%). Above this entry. $110,000–$120,000: 249 US districts (2%). Above this entry. $120,000–$130,000: 156 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $130,000–$140,000: 112 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $140,000–$150,000: 57 US districts (1%). Above this entry. $150,000–$160,000: 25 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $160,000–$170,000: 13 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $170,000–$180,000: 10 US districts (0%). Above this entry. $180,000–$190,000: 0 US districts (0%). Above this entry. This district $30,000 $190,000 every reliable-salary US district, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $10K-wide band; taller bars hold more US districts. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 · FY2023

West Des in Iowa's upper-third pay band

Same 303 districts with a usable salary and a comparable per-pupil figure (NCES F-33 FY2023)

est. avg salary

What this shows West Des Moines Comm School District ranks #9 of 303 Iowa districts by estimated teacher salary and #31 of 303 by per-pupil spending. Linn-Mar Comm School District pay #1 at $82,552 is not Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District spending #1 at $59,531 per pupil

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

The same districts by per-pupil spending

West Des Moines Comm School District is marked; a high spending bar is not a high pay bar

per pupil

What this shows Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Comm School District leads spending at $59,531 per pupil; Linn-Mar Comm School District leads pay.

Source NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, FY2023 As of FY2023

What stands out about West Des Moines Comm School District

  • Estimated teacher pay here moved +4.5% between FY2019 and FY2023, trailing Iowa's statewide +9.0% by 4.5 points, a growth rate faster than 19% of the 324 Iowa districts with a comparable FY2019 baseline.

This pay stretches further than the headline figure suggests

Nominal district estimate
$76,287.403

The FY2023 salary estimate shown in the hero.

Iowa price level
88.8 / 100

BEA all-items regional price parity; 100 is the U.S. average.

National-price equivalent
$85,939

+13% versus the nominal figure.

Prices in Iowa run below the national average, so this salary has roughly the buying power of the national-price equivalent above. A district in a costlier state can advertise a larger nominal salary and still leave a teacher with less.

Regional price parity: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2023 all-items RPP by state. The adjustment applies a statewide index to a district figure, so it captures how Iowa compares nationally, not how this district compares with others in its own state. Compare every state on this basis.

How this salary figure is calculated
Full NCES reading for West Des Moines Comm School District

What the Numbers Say About West Des Moines Comm School District

West Des Moines Comm School District is a small-to-mid-sized school district in Iowa, serving 9,120 students at an estimated per-pupil spending of $21,477. Estimated average teacher salary, derived from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by teacher FTE, is $76,287, placing the district in the high-investment tier of NCES F-33 respondents. NCES LEAID 1930930 references the FY2023 Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Finance Survey.

Relative to the Iowa statewide average of $63,660, teacher pay in West Des Moines Comm School District runs meaningfully above the state benchmark, a 19.8% gap, and above the national instructional-salary estimate of $70,245 (8.6% differential). Among enrolling districts in Iowa, it pays more than 97% of them. Iowa itself ranks #30 of 49 nationally on average teacher compensation, which shapes the funding ceiling districts operate under.

On the budget side, West Des Moines Comm School District reports $195.9M in total expenditure against $169.4M in revenue, with instructional salaries accounting for 28% of spending, a compensation-to-budget ratio that signals how much of each tax dollar reaches classroom educators. Regular-program teacher salary outlay is $31.1M, special-education teacher pay is $6.2M.

How does West Des Moines Comm School District compare?

Estimated average teacher salary versus a peer district, the Iowa average, and the national average. Pick any in-state district to compare.

West Des Moines Comm School District $76,287
Des Moines Independent Comm School District $69,203
Iowa avg $63,660
National avg $70,245

West Des Moines Comm School District pays +10.2% more than Des Moines Independent Comm School District · per-pupil $21,477 vs $18,580

Derived from NCES F-33 teacher salary expenditure (Z35-Z38) and CCD Staff Universe teacher FTE (FY2023); a small minority use the documented fallback. Unreliable service entities are excluded.

Data-derived comparison paths

Find comparable Iowa districts

On pay, West Des Moines Comm School District sits closest to Ottumwa Comm School District; on per-pupil investment, its nearest match is Pella Comm School District. These are not simply nearby districts: each group is selected from the same NCES FY2023 dataset using a matching salary or per-pupil-investment signal and a comparable enrollment range.

Closest on estimated pay
  1. Ottumwa Comm School District
  2. Council Bluffs Comm School District
  3. Johnston Comm School District
  4. Mason City Comm School District
  5. Lewis Central Comm School District
  6. Cedar Rapids Comm School District
  7. College Comm School District
  8. Iowa City Comm School District
  9. Waukee Comm School District
  10. Cedar Falls Comm School District
  11. Pleasant Valley Comm School District
Closest on per-pupil investment
  1. Pella Comm School District
  2. Cedar Falls Comm School District
  3. Southeast Polk Comm School District
  4. Urbandale Comm School District
  5. Burlington Comm School District
  6. College Comm School District
  7. Waukee Comm School District
  8. Clinton Comm School District
  9. Ames Comm School District
  10. Council Bluffs Comm School District
  11. Iowa City Comm School District

Similar estimated teacher pay

Similar per-pupil investment

Out-of-state districts near West Des Moines Comm School District's enrollment scale

Two out-of-state peer sets for West Des Moines Comm School District: closest on enrollment (9,120 students here) and closest on estimated average teacher salary ($76,287 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood.

Similar enrollment

Nearest other districts by NCES student count (floored at ≥200).

Similar estimated salary

Nearest other districts by F-33-derived average teacher salary, distinct from the enrollment row.

Enrollment and salaries from NCES CCD F-33; estimated teacher pay can diverge widely at the same student count because of state funding, cost of living, and local bargaining.

Revenue & Expenditure

$169.4M
Total Revenue
$195.9M
Total Expenditure
$54.2M
Instruction Salaries
28% of total spending

Instructional Salary by Program

$31.1M
Regular Program
$6.2M
Special Education
$1.1M
Vocational
$7.9M
Other Programs

The teacher salaries behind this page's average are the ones NCES reports for 4 programs in West Des Moines Comm School District: the regular program, special education, vocational programs and other programs. Every program category NCES breaks out separately carries a figure here. Together they are 86% of everything the district spends on instructional salaries; the other 14% pays instructional aides, paraprofessionals, substitutes and other instructional staff who are not counted as teachers here.

Iowa Teacher Pay Overview

The highest average among comparably sized Iowa districts belongs to Linn-Mar Comm School District at $82,552. West Des Moines Comm School District sits in the upper quarter of that field at 9 of 237, nearer the ceiling than the floor. Louisiana and Oklahoma are the states closest to Iowa on BEA's price parity, which makes them the fair comparison; against a costlier state this salary goes further than its number suggests.

View all Iowa districts →

Other Iowa Districts

Large-district sample from 302 Iowa peers with reliable NCES data; bar length shows pay magnitude within this slice.

Newton Comm School District
$61,984
2,809 students
Storm Lake Comm School District
$68,074
2,794 students
Bondurant-Farrar Comm School District
$61,076
2,731 students
Pella Comm School District
$69,493
2,491 students
Carlisle Comm School District
$64,374
2,369 students
Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District
$69,512
2,304 students

This is a sample of 6 from 302 Iowa districts with enrollment and salary data reliable enough to compare in the NCES CCD F-33 survey.

Frequently Asked Questions about West Des Moines Comm School District
What is the average teacher salary in West Des Moines Comm School District?

The average teacher salary in West Des Moines Comm School District is $76,287 (NCES CCD FY2023), from reported teacher salary expenditure (F-33 items Z35-Z38) divided by the district's reported teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey).

How does West Des Moines Comm School District teacher pay compare to the Iowa average?

West Des Moines Comm School District pays 19.8% more than the Iowa state average of $63,660. The district's average is $76,287.

How does West Des Moines Comm School District teacher pay compare to the national average?

West Des Moines Comm School District pays 8.6% above the national average of $70,245. The district average is $76,287.

What is the per-pupil spending in West Des Moines Comm School District?

West Des Moines Comm School District spends approximately $21,477 per student annually (NCES FY2023), covering instructional salaries, support services, and administration.

What percentage of West Des Moines Comm School District's budget goes to teacher salaries?

Instructional salaries account for 28% of West Des Moines Comm School District's total expenditure of $195.9M (NCES FY2023).

Next read for West Des Moines Comm School District
Disclaimer & data sources

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainTeacher

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Editorial standards & source notes

According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. West Des Moines Comm School District's salary and finance figures are computed directly from its FY2023 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2023.