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Pence Elementary

Public Grades 2-4

463^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 20% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Pence Elementary is a public elementary school serving grades 2-4 in the Fairfield Community School District in Fairfield, IA, with 339 students. Despite its consistent 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, a closer look reveals some key insights about the school's performance and challenges.

Pence Elementary faces several areas of concern, including high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 21.6% to 23.4% in recent years, significantly above the state average. Additionally, the school's test scores on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) are generally below the state and district averages, particularly in mathematics, with only 60.8% of 3rd graders and 61.1% of 4th graders proficient or better, compared to state averages of 75.8% and 74.3%, respectively. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 45.57% to 51.65% in recent years, suggesting a higher proportion of students from low-income families.

When comparing Pence Elementary to nearby schools, some interesting patterns emerge. While the school is part of the same district, Washington Elementary has generally higher test scores and a lower chronic absenteeism rate. Additionally, Pekin Elementary School, located about 15 miles away, has significantly higher test scores than Pence Elementary, particularly in English Language Arts. Other nearby schools, such as Cardinal Elementary and Van Buren County Community School District Douds Center, have mixed performance compared to Pence Elementary.

317

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,433

Per pupil spending ?

56.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1000 South 6th Street
Fairfield, IA 52556-3940

(641) 472-2957

District: Fairfield Community School District

Students who attend Pence Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Fairfield Middle School
High:	Fairfield High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.9%

Two or more races:

7.9%

Hispanic:

7.3%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Pence Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 22nd percentile in 2014 → 20th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (64% vs 73% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (20th percentile)

!Mathematics scores 14 pts below the Iowa average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school64%

District avg64%

Iowa avg73%

463^rd of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 20%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From bottom 6% (2015) to bottom 20% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

187^th of 313Fairfield Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	29.1	463 of 576	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.4	450 of 557	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.9	443 of 565	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.4	434 of 574	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.6	431 of 567	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	35.3	439 of 603	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	27.8	462 of 574	19.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	12.7	545 of 599	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.8	576 of 616	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	35.4	470 of 603	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	48.8	390 of 624	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2012	57.6	302 of 626	51.8%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts68%-4 vs state

Mathematics61%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Pence Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)				ISASP Mathematics (2025)				ISASP Science (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Pence Elementary	Public	2-4	1000 South 6th Street	Fairfield	52556	Jefferson County	Fairfield Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 472-2957	317	27	11.8	56.5%	250 (78.9%)	6 (1.9%)	23 (7.3%)	13 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.9%)	29.1	463^rd of 576 public elementary schools	19.6%		27.4	450^th of 557 public elementary schools	19.2%	13	64.9	70.5			60.8	61.1				$13,433	$1,191	$12,242
Washington Elementary	Public	PK, KG-1	406 East Madison Avenue	Fairfield	52556	Jefferson County	Fairfield Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 472-2110	239	20	12.1	51.9%	176 (73.6%)	6 (2.5%)	18 (7.5%)	15 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	23 (9.6%)								(n/a)										$14,800	$991	$13,809
Van Buren County Community School District Douds Center	Public	PK, KG-6	14573 Washington Street	Douds	52551	Van Buren County	Van Buren County Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 936-4321	292	27	10.6	51.0%	277 (94.9%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	45.7	364^th of 576 public elementary schools	36.8%		44.2	369^th of 557 public elementary schools	33.8%	5	59.5	65.7	75.0	70.6	78.4	68.6	82.1	64.7	82.1	$13,358	$1,032	$12,326
Cardinal Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	5414 Hwy 16	Eldon	52554	Wapello County	Cardinal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 652-3591	495	38	12.9	64.4%	439 (88.7%)	1 (0.2%)	38 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.2%)	37.5	419^th of 576 public elementary schools	27.3%		31.1	439^th of 557 public elementary schools	21.2%	20	62.2	73.5			66.2	69.9				$10,997	$435	$10,563
Pekin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1062 Birch Ave	Packwood	52580	Jefferson County	Pekin Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 661-2351	308	23	13.1	45.1%	282 (91.6%)	4 (1.3%)	17 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	43	383^rd of 576 public elementary schools	33.5%		71.9	144^th of 557 public elementary schools	74.1%	239	84.2	78.1	62.5	70.4	84.2	62.5	60.0	70.4	50.0	$12,602	$753	$11,850

Frequently Asked Questions about Pence Elementary

How many students attend Pence Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 317 students attended Pence Elementary.

What district is Pence Elementary in?

Fairfield Community School District

Is Pence Elementary a good school?

Pence Elementary ranks in the bottom 19.6% of Iowa elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Pence Elementary?

Students at Pence Elementary are 79% White, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Pence Elementary attend?

Students who attend Pence Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Fairfield Middle School
High : Fairfield High School

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Schools in Fairfield, IA

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.