Windsor Heights is divided at 70th Street: west of it is West Des Moines Community, east of it is Des Moines Public. There's a second quirk worth knowing - because Windsor Heights addresses are postally Des Moines, no school appears in the state directory under a Windsor Heights address, even the ones in and beside the city. So you cannot infer the district from the city name here, and a two-block difference can change the answer.
Windsor Heights is served by two districts, divided at 70th Street. Addresses west of 70th fall in the West Des Moines Community School District; addresses east of it fall in Des Moines Public Schools. Two homes on nearby blocks can be assigned to entirely different districts, which is why verifying the exact address matters more here than almost anywhere in the metro.
West Des Moines Community School District - One of the largest districts in the metro, WDMCS serves the western portion of Windsor Heights. Clive Learning Academy is the nearest WDMCS elementary; the state directory lists it under a Des Moines postal address. The district's comprehensive high school is Valley High School in West Des Moines. Elementary and middle assignments depend on the exact address, so confirm the feeder pattern for the home you're considering.
Des Moines Public Schools - The state's largest district serves the eastern portion of Windsor Heights. Cowles Montessori School, a DMPS magnet families here often ask about, is likewise listed under a Des Moines postal address. DMPS assigns neighborhood schools by address and also offers magnet and choice options, so the school your address feeds into should be confirmed directly with the district.
The Iowa Department of Education lists every school building by its postal address, and Windsor Heights addresses are postally Des Moines. So no building appears in the state directory under a Windsor Heights address, even though schools sit inside and right beside the city. The practical consequence is the one that matters to a buyer: you cannot infer the district from the city name here. Confirm the district and the school assignment for the exact address before you write an offer.
Here's something a lot of buyers miss: in most suburbs you can assume the district from the city name. In Windsor Heights you cannot. Before you write an offer, let's confirm the district and the specific school assignment for that exact address - I'd rather you know up front than be surprised after closing.
No building is filed under a Windsor Heights address at all, so the only reliable answer here comes from the two district offices directly.
Windsor Heights is split between two districts at 70th Street: addresses west of 70th are in the West Des Moines Community School District, and addresses east of 70th are in Des Moines Public Schools. Because the line runs through the city, two homes on nearby blocks can be in different districts.
No school appears in the Iowa Department of Education building directory under a Windsor Heights address, because the directory files schools by postal city and Windsor Heights addresses are postally Des Moines. Schools do sit in and beside the city - you simply cannot identify them by the city name.
Buyers weighing Windsor Heights usually have one or two other towns on the list. Each of these is the same guide for that city, built from the same state directory:
Wherever you land, I'm happy to help you weigh the two districts and the trade-offs that come with each - no pressure, no sales pitch. A quick 15-minute conversation is often all it takes to point you in the right direction:
Jackson Krile is a REALTOR® on the Flanders Team at RE/MAX Real Estate Center. Licensed in Iowa #S66867000. DMAAR + CIBR member.
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