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Mark Twain Elementary

Public Grades PK, KG-5

509^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 12% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Mark Twain Elementary is a public elementary school in Iowa City, Iowa, serving 241 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Iowa City Community School District, which is ranked 241 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Mark Twain Elementary faces several challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, lower-than-average test scores, and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. The school's 3rd grade proficiency rates in English Language Arts (52%) and Mathematics (60%) were well below the district (67.4% and 71.4%) and state (67.9% and 75.8%) averages in the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, the school's spending per student, at $15,834, is higher than the district and state averages, suggesting that additional resources are being directed towards the school.

When compared to nearby schools within the same district, such as Lincoln Elementary, Bohumil Shimek Elementary, and Horace Mann Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary is underperforming, with significantly lower test scores and higher chronic absenteeism rates. This suggests that the school is facing persistent challenges in improving student outcomes, and a comprehensive review of its strategies and resource allocation may be necessary to address the specific needs of its student population.

213

Students ?

9.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,834

Per pupil spending ?

66.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1355 DeForest Avenue
Iowa City, IA 52240

(319) 688-1165

District: Iowa City Community School District

Students who attend Mark Twain Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Southeast Middle School
High:	Iowa City High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

35.7%

White:

35.2%

Hispanic:

23.0%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Mark Twain Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 17th percentile in 2022 → 12th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (53% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (12th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped from its 17th-percentile peak (2022) to 12th (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school53%

District avg68%

Iowa avg71%

509^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 12%▲ up 8 pts since 2015

From bottom 4% (2015) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

15^th of 18Elementary Schools in the Iowa City Community School District

241^st of 313Iowa City 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	14.9	509 of 576	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.3	462 of 557	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.5	474 of 565	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.1	474 of 574	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	19.5	481 of 567	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	8.9	574 of 603	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.1	537 of 567	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	5.9	541 of 574	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	7.9	567 of 599	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	4.0	594 of 616	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	4.8	581 of 603	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	4.3	609 of 624	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	4.8	611 of 626	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts59%-12 vs state

Mathematics51%-23 vs state

Science40%-24 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, April 25, 2022

Kind teachers, diverse classmates, small classes. Great experience with two kids here! Close Quote

Schools Near Mark Twain 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1355 DeForest Avenue	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1165	213	22	9.6	66.7%	75 (35.2%)	76 (35.7%)	49 (23.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.2%)	14.9	509^th of 576 public elementary schools	11.6%		23.3	462^nd of 557 public elementary schools	17.1%	47	52.0	66.7	60.0	60.0	54.2	35.0	40.0	$15,834	$1,165	$14,669
Grant Wood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1930 Lakeside Dr	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1180	306	28	10.8	68.0%	61 (19.9%)	153 (50.0%)	70 (22.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	17 (5.6%)	11.6	522^nd of 576 public elementary schools	9.4%		7.9	520^th of 557 public elementary schools	6.6%	2	56.8	64.9	43.2	43.2	59.5	45.5	40.9	$15,646	$1,067	$14,579
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1130 Seymour Ave	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1135	325	30	10.8	53.5%	143 (44.0%)	86 (26.5%)	66 (20.3%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.0%)	35.1	435^th of 576 public elementary schools	24.5%		37	401^st of 557 public elementary schools	28.0%	34	59.6	82.5	61.3	55.3	71.9	58.1	58.1	$13,112	$279	$12,833
Robert Lucas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	830 Southlawn Dr	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1140	245	18	13.5	49.4%	106 (43.3%)	82 (33.5%)	27 (11.0%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.6%)	18.7	493^rd of 576 public elementary schools	14.4%		34.5	420^th of 557 public elementary schools	24.6%	73	67.5	52.6	51.9	65.0	52.6	55.6	40.7	$14,649	$1,493	$13,155
Alexander Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3571 Sycamore St.	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1095	436	38	11.3	75.9%	98 (22.5%)	170 (39.0%)	139 (31.9%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (5.0%)	11.4	523^rd of 576 public elementary schools	9.2%		17.1	482^nd of 557 public elementary schools	13.5%	41	53.7	63.0	46.6	59.7	47.8	48.3	41.4	$15,246	$1,427	$13,819
Horace Mann Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	521 N Dodge St	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1145	207	18	11.4	33.8%	123 (59.4%)	49 (23.7%)	19 (9.2%)	5 (2.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.8%)	56.6	280^th of 576 public elementary schools	51.4%		49.5	333^rd of 557 public elementary schools	40.2%	53	81.5	74.3	74.1	77.8	60.0	74.1	81.5	$16,025	$649	$15,377
Helen Lemme Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3100 Washington St	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1125	340	25	13.8	38.2%	209 (61.5%)	52 (15.3%)	60 (17.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.7%)	35.9	428^th of 576 public elementary schools	25.7%		60.7	245^th of 557 public elementary schools	56.0%	183	64.2	68.4	66.7	67.9	64.9	64.4	62.2	$12,605	$204	$12,400
Ernest Horn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	600 Koser Ave	Iowa City	52246	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1115	453	33	13.6	58.5%	152 (33.6%)	197 (43.5%)	26 (5.7%)	45 (9.9%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (6.4%)	40.4	399^th of 576 public elementary schools	30.7%		37.6	398^th of 557 public elementary schools	28.5%	1	73.7	69.7	61.4	77.2	63.6	70.2	54.4	$14,000	$687	$13,313
Herbert Hoover Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1355 Barrington Rd	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1110	464	36	12.8	46.6%	202 (43.5%)	75 (16.2%)	152 (32.8%)	14 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.5%)	41.5	393^rd of 576 public elementary schools	31.8%		55.5	297^th of 557 public elementary schools	46.7%	96	69.2	77.1	70.9	69.2	62.7	60.0	61.8
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 Teeters Court	Iowa City	52246	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1130	217	15	14.4	35.9%	119 (54.8%)	44 (20.3%)	15 (6.9%)	23 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	14 (6.5%)	76.7	110^th of 576 public elementary schools	80.9%		75.9	105^th of 557 public elementary schools	81.1%	5	69.4	85.3	84.6	86.1	85.3	88.5	80.8	$13,259	$202	$13,057

Frequently Asked Questions about Mark Twain Elementary

How many students attend Mark Twain Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 213 students attended Mark Twain Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Mark Twain Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mark Twain Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southeast Middle School
High : Iowa City High School

What is the racial makeup of Mark Twain Elementary?

Students at Mark Twain Elementary are 36% African American, 35% White, 23% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

What district is Mark Twain Elementary in?

Iowa City Community School District

Is Mark Twain Elementary a good school?

Mark Twain Elementary ranks in the bottom 11.6% of Iowa elementary schools.

Rate Mark Twain Elementary!

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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.