Perkins Elementary School

At first I thought most of Des Moines Schools did not challenge kids enough but then when I transferred to Perkins everything changed. They have magnificent teachers,they have fun out of school activities, and they give students a chance to challenge there self. I am really good at math and at Perkins they put my brain to work instead of teaching me things I already knew. But what really astonished me at this school was their gym teacher,Mr.Randell,he was awesome he always kept the kids active and was strict so kids did not run off doing whatever they wanted. I always looked forward to gym days!! I just want to say Perkins truly changed my life.
--Submitted by a parent

I was skeptical of the Des Moines school district because of prior experience, but have found Perkins Academy to be a bright spot where there is an active PTA and a fairly close community of teachers. It seems plain, but beyond the culture of the educational environment, the two most important factors is the relationship that develops between your child and their teacher and the level of effectiveness the teacher is able to reach in leading the students in their class. This has been pretty decent for the 3 years that I've had children open-enrolled into Perkins.
--Submitted by a parent

So far, my experience with this school is *not* wonderful. The teachers are not particularly open-minded to change and the principal seems to keep herself removed - other than as an administrator. There is a lot of talk - but little action.
--Submitted by a parent