South Tama County

The South Tama County school district in Iowa consists of three schools: South Tama County Elementary School, South Tama County High School, and South Tama County Middle School. These schools serve students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and face a range of challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates and socioeconomic factors that impact student performance.

The elementary school shows relatively strong performance on 3rd and 4th grade English Language Arts and Math tests, with proficiency rates at or above state averages. However, the school has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 21.6% and a low statewide ranking, placing in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools. The high school has a graduation rate of 88.3%, which is a positive, but its performance on ISASP tests is mixed, with some grades and subjects above state averages and others below. The middle school demonstrates stronger performance on ISASP tests compared to the other two schools, with several grades and subjects at or above state averages.

Across all three schools, the high chronic absenteeism rate of 21.6% is a significant concern, and the schools serve a population with significant socioeconomic challenges, as evidenced by the high percentages of free/reduced lunch recipients, ranging from 56.92% to 68.91%. The overall academic performance, as reflected in the schools' statewide rankings, is relatively low compared to other schools in Iowa, suggesting room for improvement in addressing these challenges and supporting student success.