Western Hills Elementary School

I’ve been disappointed in our experience with Western Hills. It’s our neighborhood school, and I was excited to enroll my children in the Dual Language Spanish Immersion Program. While my children are learning, there’s no real communication or coordination - it does not operate like an organized “program.” The classes are full, with 26-28 students, in an older building with seemingly little space. There are some wonderful teachers, but they don’t always have the resources they need (while dealing with large classes and teaching in two languages). I haven’t been able with to identify a communication standard - some teachers are great communicators and others aren’t (and, this appears to be accepted). A “typical” student might do ok, but one that needs additional support, from gifted and talented to a 504 plan/IEP, may struggle to receive it. It’s been such a mixed bag, with the assigned teacher making a big impact on the overall experience. Overall test scores for the school as a whole are low, and I’ve heard a lot of reasons for this but no concrete action plan on how to support students. If it were not for the Spanish Immersion program, I would open enroll my children in another school within the district.

Great! Love every teacher we have had.

Amazing school! Very friendly and welcoming! It has a great same school feel. Teacher are fabulous

I have 2 daughters at this school currently. If you are moving to West Des Moines, this is a fantastic, welcoming community of families and staff who work together well. Lots of parent support. There is a great mix of new and well-seasoned teachers, they strive to keep technology current and offer many activities for students outside of school.