Best Public Schools in Belle Plaine, IA

The city of Belle Plaine, Iowa is home to two schools: Longfellow Elementary School and Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School, both part of the Belle Plaine Community School District. While the elementary school has consistently high test scores, the district as a whole has seen a decline in its statewide performance rankings in recent years.

Longfellow Elementary School stands out for its strong academic performance, with 6th grade students scoring significantly above the state average in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. The school also performs well in Science, with 5th graders scoring above the state average. However, the school faces a challenge with a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate of 21.6%.

In contrast, Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 140th out of 336 Iowa high schools in 2022-2023 to 225th out of 340 in 2024-2025. The high school has mixed performance on test scores, with some grade levels scoring above the state average in English Language Arts, while others fall below the state average in Mathematics. Both schools in the district share a high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting the need to address socioeconomic factors that may be impacting student performance.