Best Public Schools in Wapello, IA

The city of Wapello, Iowa is home to three schools that serve students from elementary through high school: Wapello Elementary School, Wapello Senior High School, and Wapello Junior High School. These schools are part of the Wapello Community School District.

Among the standout schools, Wapello Junior High School ranks 232 out of 344 Iowa middle schools and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. It performs relatively well on ISASP tests, with 82.9% of 8th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts and 77.1% proficient or better in Mathematics. However, the school has a high free/reduced lunch rate of 44%, indicating a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students. In contrast, Wapello Senior High School ranks 247 out of 340 Iowa high schools and has a 1-star rating, but maintains a solid 88.3% four-year graduation rate and performs better than the district and state averages in some ISASP test areas, such as 76.6% of 11th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts.

Across the district, all three schools share a concerning chronic absenteeism rate of 21.6% in the 2023-2024 school year, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the schools have varying performance on standardized tests, with Wapello Elementary School generally scoring below state averages, while Wapello Junior High School has stronger test scores. The high free/reduced lunch rates, particularly at the junior high and high school levels, suggest a significant population of economically disadvantaged students, which may be a contributing factor to the schools' overall performance and require targeted interventions and support.