Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Twin Cedars Elementary School

Q: Is Twin Cedars Elementary School a good school?

Twin Cedars Elementary School ranks 318 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

318^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 45% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Twin Cedars Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Bussey, Iowa, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 179 students. The school is part of the Twin Cedars Community School District, which is ranked 240 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the school's strengths is its consistently strong test scores, with students performing above the state average in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 3rd grade ELA proficiency was 75% compared to the state average of 67.9%, and its 3rd grade Math proficiency was 81.3% compared to the state average of 75.8%. However, the school has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 16.9% to 26.2% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 31.22% in 2021-2022 to 50.28% in 2023-2024, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Eddyville Elementary and Lincoln Center, Twin Cedars Elementary School generally performs on par or slightly better in terms of test scores, but struggles with higher chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch rates. Over the past several years, the school's statewide ranking has steadily declined, from 392 out of 567 Iowa elementary schools in 2016-2017 to 318 out of 576 in 2024-2025, suggesting that the school is not keeping pace with improvements in other Iowa elementary schools. The school district should closely examine these issues and develop targeted strategies to address the underlying factors impacting student success.

170

Students ?

14.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,458

Per pupil spending ?

34.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2204 Highway G71
Bussey, IA 50044-7512

(641) 944-5245

District: Twin Cedars Community School District

Students who attend Twin Cedars Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Twin Cedars Junior-Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.9%

Two or more races:

3.5%

Hispanic:

2.4%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Twin Cedars Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 32nd percentile in 2015 → 45th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 13 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school72%

District avg72%

Iowa avg72%

318^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 45%▲ up 13 pts since 2015

From bottom 32% (2015) to bottom 45% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

240^th of 313Twin Cedars 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	51.9	318 of 576	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.3	437 of 557	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.5	447 of 565	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.3	447 of 574	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	37.1	405 of 567	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.1	499 of 603	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	41.2	392 of 567	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	43.1	394 of 574	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	38.2	449 of 599	25.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	46.0	419 of 616	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2014	50.1	367 of 603	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	30.8	512 of 624	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	38.5	472 of 626	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts75%+3 vs state

Science74%+10 vs state

Mathematics68%-5 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Twin Cedars Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Twin Cedars Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Twin Cedars Elementary School

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
Twin Cedars Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2204 Highway G71	Bussey	50044	Marion County	Twin Cedars Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 944-5245	170	12	14.3	34.1%	158 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.4%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.5%)	51.9	318^th of 576 public elementary schools	44.8%		31.3	437^th of 557 public elementary schools	21.5%	119	75.0	73.3	73.9	77.8	81.3	66.7	56.5	72.2	73.9	$12,458	$838	$11,621
Northstar Elementary School	Public	3-5	407 W Larson	Knoxville	50138	Marion County	Knoxville Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 842-6527	348	25	14.0	49.1%	311 (89.4%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (4.0%)	5 (1.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	15 (4.3%)	41.5	391^st of 576 public elementary schools	32.1%		34.9	415^th of 557 public elementary schools	25.5%	24	48.6	72.8	66.4		64.9	80.6	79.5		55.7	$13,116	$644	$12,471
West Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	306 S Park Lane Dr	Knoxville	50138	Marion County	Knoxville Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 842-2185	485	31	15.8	46.4%	434 (89.5%)	6 (1.2%)	11 (2.3%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	25 (5.2%)								(n/a)										$13,948	$757	$13,191
Madison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	950 E. University St.	Pella	50219	Marion County	Pella Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 628-4638	401	34	11.9	21.2%	348 (86.8%)	9 (2.2%)	21 (5.2%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.7%)								(n/a)	73.0				90.0					$10,607	$378	$10,228
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	1111 North Main Street	Pella	50219	Marion County	Pella Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 628-3970	254	21	11.9	17.3%	211 (83.1%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (5.1%)	6 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.5%)	9 (3.5%)								(n/a)	78.6				91.1					$9,627	$201	$9,425
Lincoln Center	Public	3-6	222 N 2nd Street	Albia	52531	Monroe County	Albia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 932-2161	320	22	14.7	42.8%	303 (94.7%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.2%)	62.1	242^nd of 576 public elementary schools	58.0%		65.1	199^th of 557 public elementary schools	64.3%	43	68.9	82.7	69.6	80.5	86.5	79.0	73.9	72.4	72.5	$11,237	$464	$10,772
Oskaloosa Elementary School	Public	K-5	1801 Orchard Ave	Oskaloosa	52577	Mahaska County	Oskaloosa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 673-8092	903	75	12.1	45.0%	763 (84.5%)	23 (2.5%)	32 (3.5%)	14 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (7.8%)	50.4	330^th of 576 public elementary schools	42.7%		36.3	406^th of 557 public elementary schools	27.1%	76	67.7	67.6	73.0		75.2	69.0	77.8		69.0	$12,331	$765	$11,567
Grant Center	Public	K-2	520 South Clinton Street	Albia	52531	Monroe County	Albia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 932-2161	239	17	14.1	43.1%	225 (94.1%)	2 (0.8%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.5%)								(n/a)										$12,633	$1,337	$11,297
Eddyville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	702 Vance Street	Eddyville	52553	Wapello County	Eddyville-Blakesburg- Fremont Central School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 969-4281	274	22	12.4	49.3%	257 (93.8%)	1 (0.4%)	10 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	5 (1.8%)	65.5	216^th of 576 public elementary schools	62.5%		67.5	181^st of 557 public elementary schools	67.5%	35	88.0	65.8	79.5	79.4	96.0	76.3	66.7	94.1	74.4	$11,732	$326	$11,406
Melcher-Dallas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1003 E Park St	Dallas	50062	Marion County	Melcher-Dallas Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 947-3151	157	12	13.1	38.9%	153 (97.5%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	37.9	416^th of 576 public elementary schools	27.8%		39.2	390^th of 557 public elementary schools	30.0%	26	22.7	83.3	60.0	88.9	40.9	75.0	40.0	88.9	50.0	$11,236	$776	$10,459

Frequently Asked Questions about Twin Cedars Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Twin Cedars Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Twin Cedars Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Twin Cedars Junior-Senior High School

How many students attend Twin Cedars Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 170 students attended Twin Cedars Elementary School.

Is Twin Cedars Elementary School a good school?

Twin Cedars Elementary School ranks 318^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Twin Cedars Elementary School?

Students at Twin Cedars Elementary School are 93% White, 4% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

What district is Twin Cedars Elementary School in?

Twin Cedars Community School District

Rate Twin Cedars Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IAIowa Elementary School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Bussey, IA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Twin Cedars Elementary School!

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.