Best Public Schools in Monona, IA

The city of Monona, Iowa is home to two schools - MFL MarMac Elementary School and MFL MarMac High School, both part of the MFL MarMac Community School District. The elementary school demonstrates strong academic performance, with 3rd-grade proficiency rates exceeding the state average in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. In contrast, the high school shows impressive proficiency rates in English Language Arts, particularly in 10th and 9th grades, but lower Mathematics proficiency rates, especially in 11th grade.

The high school also stands out for its improved state-wide ranking, moving from 274th out of 338 high schools in 2023-2024 to 158th out of 340 in 2024-2025. Additionally, the high school boasts an impressive 88.3% four-year graduation rate, outperforming the state average. However, both the elementary and high school have relatively high chronic absenteeism rates of 21.6%, which may be an area of concern.

Socioeconomic factors also play a role, with both schools having a significant population of economically disadvantaged students, as indicated by the high free/reduced lunch rates of 32.29% at the elementary school and 31% at the high school. The higher spending per student at the high school ($16,880) compared to the elementary school ($12,542) may suggest a focus on resource allocation for the secondary level.