Mitchell Early Childhood Center

Des Moines Independent Comm School District

395 Students

Pre Kindergarten Pre-K - Pre-K

School Overview

Mitchell Early Childhood Center, located at 111 Porter in Des Moines, Iowa, serves as a specialized educational facility dedicated to the foundational development of the district’s youngest learners. As part of the Des Moines Public Schools system, the center focuses on providing high-quality early childhood education, including preschool programming designed to prepare children for the transition to elementary school. The facility is structured to foster a nurturing environment where children can develop essential social, emotional, and cognitive skills through play-based learning and developmentally appropriate instruction.

Beyond academics, the center acts as a crucial community hub that emphasizes school readiness and early intervention. By partnering with families and providing a supportive classroom atmosphere, Mitchell Early Childhood Center aims to build a strong educational foundation, ensuring that children from diverse backgrounds have equitable access to the resources and guidance necessary for long-term academic success.

395

Total Students

17.4

Full-Time Teachers

22.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

49.6%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Mitchell Early Childhood Center
Demographic	Student Count
White	124
Hispanic	127
Black	63
Asian	47
Two or More	31
American Indian	2
Pacific Islander	1

Hispanic
127 (32.2 %)
White
124 (31.4 %)
Black
63 (15.9 %)
Asian
47 (11.9 %)
Two or More
31 (7.8 %)
American Indian
2 (0.5 %)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.3 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Pre Kindergarten
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Des Moines Independent Comm School District
Phone:	(515)242-8424
Grade Range:	Pre-K - Pre-K
Total Students:	395
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	17.4
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	22.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	168
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	28

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 395