Schools
Schools near The Pines
For a lot of families Ankeny is the school district first and the address second. The Pines sits in the north end of it, and the nearest school is 0.3 miles up the street. Here is the district, how it is rated, and the buildings that serve this address, by road from the front door.
An A-rated district
Ankeny Community School District is graded A by Niche, which ranks it the fourth best school district in Iowa and the best in the Des Moines metro for 2026. It runs 11 elementary schools and two high schools and keeps opening buildings as the city grows. Ankeny Centennial High School, the high school for the north end of town, is graded A as well, ranks fifth among Iowa public high schools on Niche, and sits 21st in the state on the U.S. News high school rankings, with a 96 percent graduation rate.
The schools that serve The Pines
Ankeny splits its middle grades into two buildings, one for grades 6 and 7 and one for grades 8 and 9, so a student moves through four schools between kindergarten and graduation. These are the north feeder buildings for this address, with the road miles from the door:
- Northwest Elementary School, grades K through 5, 2.1 miles, at 1202 West First Street
- Prairie Ridge Middle School, grades 6 and 7, 1.0 miles
- Northview Middle School, grades 8 and 9, 0.3 miles
- Ankeny Centennial High School, grades 10 through 12, 1.3 miles
The closest of them is Northview Middle School at 0.3 miles, a walk rather than a drive from the front door. Northwest Elementary and the district's middle schools run a talented and gifted program for students who qualify. Ankeny Centennial High School, which opened in 2013, is 1.3 miles up the road; it fields four competitive show choirs and a competitive marching band that has twice performed in the New York City Veterans Day Parade.
College credit, and room for a family
Ankeny students can earn college credit before they finish high school at the DMACC Ankeny campus, 2.7 miles down North Ankeny Boulevard and the college's largest. The homes here are built for the families who come for the schools: most plans have three bedrooms, each with a room large enough to be a real bedroom. The homes run from 1,360 to 1,800 square feet across four plans, in two and three bedrooms, each with an attached garage, a washer and dryer in the home, central air and a gas fireplace. Live pricing for whatever is open is on the availability page.
Questions people ask
What school district serves The Pines?
Ankeny Community School District. Niche grades it A and ranks it the fourth best district in Iowa and the best in the Des Moines metro for 2026.
What is the closest school to The Pines?
Northview Middle School, grades 8 and 9, at 0.3 miles, essentially across the neighborhood from the front door.
What high school serves The Pines?
Ankeny Centennial High School, grades 10 through 12, 1.3 miles up the road. It is graded A on Niche, ranks fifth among Iowa public high schools there and 21st in the state on U.S. News, with a 96 percent graduation rate.
What elementary and middle schools serve The Pines?
Northwest Elementary School, grades K through 5, at 2.1 miles; Prairie Ridge Middle School, grades 6 and 7, at 1.0 miles; and Northview Middle School, grades 8 and 9, at 0.3 miles.
How good are the Ankeny schools?
Ankeny Community School District is graded A by Niche and ranked fourth among Iowa districts and first in the Des Moines metro for 2026. Ankeny Centennial High School carries a 96 percent graduation rate and sits 21st in the state on the U.S. News rankings.
Niche grades and rankings for Ankeny Community School District and Ankeny Centennial High School from niche.com, 2026. The Iowa high school ranking and the 96 percent graduation rate for Ankeny Centennial from usnews.com, 2026-2027. Grades, feeder buildings and the talented and gifted and performing-arts programs from the Ankeny Community School District and school listings, October 2026. Distances measured by road from our address using OpenStreetMap, September 2026. School assignments are set by Ankeny Community School District.
More about living here
- Moving to Ankeny, Iowa
- Parks and trails near The Pines
- Groceries and everyday errands near The Pines
- Eating and drinking near The Pines
- Commuting from The Pines
- Things to do in Ankeny
- The High Trestle Trail, near The Pines
- Single-level homes at The Pines
- Maintenance-free living at The Pines
- The floor plans at The Pines, explained
- How to apply at The Pines
- Working from home at The Pines
- Pet-friendly townhomes in Ankeny
- What residents say about The Pines
- The neighborhood guide
- All questions