Summary:
The Independence Community School District in Iowa consists of 4 schools, including 3 elementary schools (West Elementary, East Elementary, and Early Childhood Center) and 1 junior/senior high school (Independence Junior Senior High School). The district serves students from early childhood through 12th grade.
Among the standout schools, Independence Junior Senior High School has seen a significant decline in its statewide ranking in recent years, dropping from 42nd out of 336 Iowa high schools in 2022-2023 to 183rd out of 340 in 2024-2025. However, the school maintains a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 88.3% and generally performs above the district and state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics, with some exceptions in the lower grades. In contrast, West Elementary School has consistently ranked in the middle of Iowa elementary schools, with test scores generally on par with or slightly below the district and state averages.
Across the district, the chronic absenteeism rate is high at 21.6%, and there are notable socioeconomic disparities, with East Elementary School having the highest percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 45.55% and Early Childhood Center having the lowest at 20.51%. Additionally, there are differences in spending per student and student-teacher ratios among the schools, which may contribute to the observed performance differences.
Thank you for your feedback!