Clarke Community Middle School

Clarke Community Middle School is a public middle school in Osceola, Iowa, serving grades 6-8 with a total enrollment of 269 students. The school is part of the Clarke Community School District, which is ranked 302 out of 313 school districts in Iowa and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Clarke Community Middle School faces several challenges compared to nearby schools. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 34.1% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the 21.6% rate at Interstate 35 Middle School. Additionally, the school's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are consistently lower than the state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 51.2% to 73.3% compared to state averages of 70.5% to 80.2%. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 61.34% to 64.69%, which is much higher than the 25.88% rate at Interstate 35 Middle School.

Despite these challenges, Clarke Community Middle School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.2 to 15.2 over the past few years, which is lower than the 18.9 student-teacher ratio at Interstate 35 Middle School. However, the school's statewide ranking has been steadily declining, from 177 out of 327 Iowa middle schools in 2016-2017 to 302 out of 344 in 2024-2025. By addressing the high chronic absenteeism rates and low academic performance, and leveraging the school's strengths, such as the low student-teacher ratio, Clarke Community Middle School can work towards providing a more equitable and effective education for its students.