Best Public Schools in Washington, IA

The city of Washington, Iowa is home to 4 schools, including 2 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school, all part of the Washington Community School District. While the district as a whole is ranked 293 out of 313 districts in Iowa and rated 0 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger, indicating poor overall performance, a few schools stand out within the district.

Washington Middle School is the highest-ranked school in the data set, ranking 277 out of 344 Iowa middle schools in 2024-2025. It has the lowest student-teacher ratio at 11.2 and performs relatively well on ISASP test scores, with 81% of 8th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts. Meanwhile, Lincoln Upper Elementary School outperforms the other elementary schools, with 70.3% of 4th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts.

However, the district as a whole faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates of 21.6% across all schools and a large percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 40.97% at Stewart Elementary to 47.85% at Washington Middle School. Additionally, the schools generally perform below the state average on ISASP tests, with Washington High School particularly struggling, with only 49.5% of 10th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts in 2024-2025, compared to the state average of 74.7%.