The Ankeny Brief
Good schools are the main reason families keep pouring into Ankeny - and the first thing anyone moving here asks about. Here's the plain-English map of the Ankeny Community School District: every school, how to find the one your address is zoned for, and how open enrollment works if you're coming from outside town.
Almost all of Ankeny is in the Ankeny Community School District - about 12,700 students, one of Iowa's largest and fastest-growing. It runs two high schools (Ankeny & Centennial), four middle schools, and nine elementary/early-learning buildings, split into a North feeder (Centennial) and a South feeder (Ankeny High). To find your zoned schools, use the district's address look-up tool.
First day is Monday, Aug 24, 2026. See registration, supply lists, school hours, immunizations, and Iowa's tax-free weekend in our Ankeny back to school guide.
In Ankeny, your assigned elementary, middle, and high school are set by your home address, not by which building is closest. The district keeps an online Address Look-Up Tool and boundary maps - type in your address and it returns all three assignments. This is the single most useful link on this page if you're house-hunting: Ankeny school boundaries & address look-up →
The district is organized into two feeder systems. The North feeder flows up to Ankeny Centennial High School; the South feeder flows to Ankeny High School. Your elementary and middle school determine which high school your student eventually attends - worth knowing before you pick a house.
Ashland Ridge, Crocker, Northeast, Northwest, Prairie Trail, Rock Creek, Southeast, and Westwood elementaries, plus the Terrace Learning Center for early learning. New buildings open regularly as the district grows - the boundary tool always reflects the current lineup.
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If you live outside Ankeny but want your child in an Ankeny school - or you're in Ankeny and want a different Iowa district - that's open enrollment. Under Iowa law, Ankeny generally must accept open-enrollment students unless a specific building is full. There are annual deadlines (typically in the spring for the following year, with some exceptions for moves), and it all runs through the district registrar. Details and forms: Ankeny open enrollment →
It depends entirely on your address and its feeder system - North feeds Centennial, South feeds Ankeny High. Run your address through the district's look-up tool to be sure.
Most of it, but not quite all - a few edges of the city touch neighboring districts. The address tool is the only reliable way to confirm for a specific home.
Start with the Iowa Department of Education's school report card for objective, state data, then cross-check independent sites like GreatSchools and Niche for test scores, reviews, and rankings.
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