Ankeny Community School District


The Ankeny Community School District is located in Polk County, Iowa and is from the capital city, Des Moines. Headquartered in Ankeny, the district is well known in Iowa for accomplishments in academics, athletics and activities. Ankeny Schools are accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the Iowa Department of Education, and are part of the Central Iowa Metro League.
For more than a decade, the district has been one of the fastest growing school districts in Iowa, averaging student enrollment growth of more than 300 students per year during that time. The district will serve more than 9,380 students in 2012–2013 and is the 8th largest district in the state. By 2015-2016, the district is projected to enroll 10,446 students and by 2017–2018 the district is projected to enroll 11,282 students.
Physically, the district encompasses and has more than driven by buses per year.
The district serves most of Ankeny, a very small portion of Polk City, and also a section of the Saylorville census-designated place.

History

The first school in Ankeny was a log cabin, built in 1850, twenty years before Crocker Township was organized as a civil township. Ankeny's first school was located approximately south of town where the east entrance of the Iowa State Experimental farm joined Highway 69. This school was later re-located on the east side of Ankeny Boulevard, just south of First Street. Records show that Mr. A. H. Feigenbaum was one of the early teachers, serving in one of the one-room schools about 1880. The early roster includes other names such as Mrs. Hattie Cornwall, a Miss Benedict, Miss Maude Kennedy, and Mrs. John Wagner as a substitute.
The district's first official "graduating class" was the five-person class of 1914. Consolidation came to Ankeny in 1919, at which time the oldest part of the Neveln building was built. Several country school houses were moved to the grounds to accommodate the increased enrollment.
There was no further new construction until 1952 when the original part of the Parkview building was constructed. In 1957, the west wing was added and in 1964 an east wing was completed. In 1964, Parkview became Ankeny High School. Later, the facility was repurposed and renamed as "Parkview Middle School."
Northwest Elementary on West 1st Street was the first building to open after the original Parkview building. It was completed in 1962. Additional buildings include :
In 2009, construction began on the new Ankeny High School in Prairie Trail, and construction on the new Ankeny Centennial High School began with a groundbreaking ceremony on September 1, 2010. In August 2011, the new Ankeny High School opened, along with Phase I of Southview Middle School. At this time, the previous high school became a middle school for 8th and 9th grades. In 2011 the district also experienced its first division on the way to two secondary school systems, by moving to two 6th–7th grade middle schools: Prairie Ridge Middle School for the north feeder system and Parkview Middle School for the south feeder system.
In 2013–2014 the district opened Ankeny Centennial High School, marking the first time in four decades in which a school district in Iowa expanded to two high schools. The name, "Ankeny Centennial High School" is in honor of 100 years of graduating classes in Ankeny Community Schools. The Class of 2013 was the 100th graduating class, graduating just three months prior to the opening of the school.
At the same time, East Elementary School was expanded to accommodate three sections of students at each grade level.
The district redrew the attendance boundaries of its southern elementary schools in 2019.

Expansion

Ankeny Schools has been experiencing a period of rapid enrollment growth, with 300+ new students joining the school district each year. The Ankeny School district opened its second high school in 2013-2014 and now operates two, fully functioning secondary school systems.

Academics

Some of the recent academic accomplishments of Ankeny students include:
• 96.4% graduation rate – No. 1 is the 6th largest district in Iowa by student enrollment

• 0.25% dropout rate in grades 7-12 –

• 23.3 average composite score on ACT, while state average is 21.6 and national is 20.7

• 1.04 and 1.22 AP Index on the Belin and Blank Iowa AP Index

• 106 students earning AP Scholar Awards; 31 with distinction, 26 with honor, and 5 National AP Scholars

• 91.9% of the graduating class intends to pursue post-secondary education

• More than 17,600 DMACC credits earned by students

• 89,203 DMACC credits earned by AHS students since 2000

• 6 National Merit Scholarship Winners, 1 Semifinalist, and 4 Commended Students

• 447 students took 5 or more AP/Honors classes

• 93 students graduated with an honors diploma

Honors

The district currently has 16 school buildings, using a K-5, 6–7, 8–9, 10–12 grade level structure in two complete "feeder systems":
North Feeder System
South Feeder System
Superintendents who have served at Ankeny Schools include:
• H.H. VanBethuysen 1917–1919

• E.G. Clark 1919–1921

• E.W. Neveln 1921–1943

• Cliff Evans 1943–1947

• Ted Karges 1948–1951

• Ralph Jorgensen 1951–1958

• Melvin Anderson 1958–1960

• Keith Hopkins 1960–1986

• Dr. Ben Norman 1986–2002

• Kent Mutchler 2002–2006

• Dr. Veronica Stalker 2006–2007

• Dr. Matthew Wendt 2007–2012

• Dr. Bruce Kimpston 2012–Present

Athletics

2011–2012 School Year Athletic & Activities Achievements
Historical Information:
Girls' Athletics
Ankeny girls' athletics rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s under Coach Dick Rasmussen, who coached the girls' basketball and softball teams. Under head coach Scott De Jong, the girls' basketball team holds the record for the most consecutive state titles. They won the state championship in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005; in 2005 they rose as high as No. 2 in USA Today's Super 25 national rankings. The Hawkettes hold the record for the most state titles by a school in Iowa history, having won six championships under Coach De Jong in the five-girl era and another three under the old six-girl rules.
The won the state outdoor championship in 1981 under coach Roy Crabtree and has, under head coach Dennis Adamson, won the state indoor championship in 1996 and was runner-up outdoor state champions in 1996 and 1997. The girls' track and field team under coach Adamson has also been in the top ten state finishers seven times most recently finishing seventh in the 2010 season.
Under Coach Dave Whims, the Ankeny High School volleyball team has had several state tournament appearances and have won the state championship in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009. In 2003, 2004 and 2010 the team was the state 4A runner up. Overall since 1996, the volleyball team has made 10 state tournament appearances and won 9 conference championships.
The Ankeny girls' golf team, coached by Toni Dickey, has appeared in the state tournament from 2001 to 2005, 2007 to 2009, and 2011. The team has four championships, 1986, 2003, 2004, and 2008. The 2009 team placed 3rd at the state tournament, and 5th in 2011. The girls have been crowned conference champions in each year from 2001 to 2009, and again in 2011.
The Ankeny girls' soccer team, under the direction of Coach Chris Allen, captured their first state championship in 2011. They also won their second title in 2013, with an undefeated nationally ranked team. In 2015, Ankeny High won their third girls' soccer state championship, this time over Pleasant Valley.
Boys' Athletics
Ankeny also has a very successful football team. Coach Jerry Pezzetti has accumulated over 370 wins in his 50+ year career at Ankeny including two state championships in 1997 and 2012. Since 1998, and with the help of special teams coach Peter Rameh, four Hawk kickers have played college football for teams in the Division I Bowl Sub-division, including former University of Miami All-American Todd Sievers
The Ankeny boys' soccer team is coached by Rick Isaacson, with the assistance of Peter Rameh. The team made its first ever state tournament appearance in 2006, losing in the first round to top seeded Bettendorf. They made the state tournament again in 2007, where they won the state title with a 1–0 victory over Valley High School after a last-minute goal by Jacob Misel.
The baseball team has 10 state tournament appearances, including four state runners-up and two state championships in 1992 and 2012.
Alumni Athletic Participation at Higher Levels
Ankeny High School alumni have participated in numerous NCAA Division I sports, including football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, women's golf, equestrian, men's and women's track and field, men's and women's swimming, softball, volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, and wrestling.
Several former Ankeny athletes have achieved high levels of performance at the professional level:
2011–2012 School Year Activities Achievements
Instrumental Music
Debate
Speech
Vocal Music
The Ankeny Bands have two jazz bands, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Lab, and one marching band, the Marching Hawks.
There are three show choirs at Ankeny High School; Visual Adrenaline, Perpetual Motion and Intensity, VA and PM being coed, while Intensity being an all-girls choir, respectively. VA continues to gain First Place in competitions, and is 11th in the nation. Jim Cacciatore leads Perpetual Motion, while Lester Miller directs Visual Adrenaline.
The Drama department does three plays a year: a fall play, a children's play and a spring musical.

Notable alumni

• Chris Fehn and Jim Root, members of Slipknot

• Dennis Albaugh, Owner of Albaugh Chemical,

• Dennis Gibson, linebacker for the Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers football teams

• Pat Dunsmore, Tight end for the Chicago Bears football team

• Paul Rhoads, former head coach of the Iowa State University football team

• Benj Sampson, pitcher for the Minnesota Twins baseball team

• Connie Yori, head basketball coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball team and recipient of the 2010 Naismith College Coach of the Year award