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Ottumwa Community School District


At a glance
299thof 313 Iowa districts▼ 11
Better than 4% of Iowa districts
115 N Ferry St
Ottumwa, IA 52501
·(641) 684-6597·All Iowa district rankings →
Statewide performance 2017–2025
2025: better than 4.5% of districts
12
Schools
5,005
Students
Top rankedEisenhower Elementary School262nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools
Biggest riser
Ottumwa High School up 6 spots statewide this year
Smallest classes
Douma Elementary School 11.3 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
3★
1★
0★
6 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

The Ottumwa Community School District in Iowa consists of 11 schools, including 7 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative school. The district as a whole is ranked 299 out of 313 school districts in Iowa and is rated 0 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger, indicating significant challenges.

Within the district, a few schools stand out as higher-performing. Eisenhower Elementary School and Horace Mann Elementary School consistently perform above the district and state averages on standardized tests, with 60-80% of students proficient or better in core subjects. These schools have 3-star ratings from SchoolDigger and are ranked among the top 500 elementary schools in Iowa. In contrast, schools like James Elementary, Liberty Elementary, and Gateway High School struggle, with significantly lower test scores and performance.

The district faces several key challenges, including a consistently high chronic absenteeism rate of 21.6% across all schools, which is likely a contributing factor to the overall academic underperformance. Additionally, there are significant disparities in spending per student, with the higher-performing schools generally spending more. Addressing these systemic issues, as well as the large performance gaps between schools, will be crucial for improving educational outcomes for students in the Ottumwa Community School District.

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private





Districts nearby


SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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