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South Central Calhoun High School

Q: Is South Central Calhoun High School a good school?

South Central Calhoun High School ranks 176 th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

176^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 48% of Iowa high schools

Summary

South Central Calhoun High School is a public high school located in Lake City, Iowa, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 281. The school is part of the South Central Calhoun Community School District, which is ranked 242 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Central Calhoun High School has shown a mixed academic performance over the years, with periods of strong performance followed by declines in rankings and test scores. The school's current ranking for the 2024-2025 school year is 176 out of 340 Iowa high schools, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. While the school has generally maintained strong graduation rates, it has faced challenges with chronic absenteeism. Compared to nearby schools like East Sac County High School and Carroll High School, South Central Calhoun High School has generally performed at a lower level, though it has a lower student-teacher ratio and higher spending per student.

Further analysis and targeted interventions may be necessary to improve the school's overall academic performance and outcomes. While the school's challenges are not unique, the inconsistent results suggest that the school community may benefit from a closer examination of its educational practices and support systems to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed.

284

Students ?

10.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,981

Per pupil spending ?

40.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

709 W Main St
Lake City, IA 51449-1500

(712) 464-7211

District: South Central Calhoun Community School District

Feeder schools for South Central Calhoun High School:

Elementary:	South Central Calhoun Elementary School
Middle:	South Central Calhoun Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.3%

Hispanic:

2.8%

Two or more races:

2.5%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare South Central Calhoun High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 22nd percentile in 2021 → 48th in 2025

Strengths

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the Iowa average (89%)

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 48th (2025) from a 22nd-percentile low (2021)

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school72%

District avg72%

Iowa avg69%

176^th of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 48%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 44% (2015) to bottom 48% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

242^nd of 313South Central Calhoun Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	55.3	176 of 340	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	62.9	127 of 338	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.5	191 of 336	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.1	251 of 332	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.4	256 of 327	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	77.2	50 of 327	84.7%	★★★★☆
2018	60.3	140 of 320	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	76.1	60 of 325	81.5%	★★★★☆
2016	71.3	89 of 320	72.2%	★★★★☆
2015	61.2	141 of 324	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2014	48.5	200 of 322	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	61.1	152 of 351	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	41.8	252 of 351	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts77%+4 vs state

Science75%+8 vs state

Mathematics67%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near South Central Calhoun High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)						ISASP Mathematics (2025)						ISASP Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
South Central Calhoun High School	Public	9-12	709 W Main St	Lake City	51449	Calhoun County	South Central Calhoun Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 464-7211	284	27	10.4	40.5%	262 (92.3%)	2 (0.7%)	8 (2.8%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.1%)	7 (2.5%)	55.3	176^th of 340 public high schools	48.2%		62.9	127^th of 338 public high schools	62.4%	49				59.3	85.1	88.6				54.2	71.6	77.3		74.6	$16,981	$194	$16,787
Carroll High School	Public	9-12	2809 N Grant Rd	Carroll	51401	Carroll County	Carroll Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 792-8010	483	36	13.4	31.7%	413 (85.5%)	14 (2.9%)	38 (7.9%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	54.8	178^th of 340 public high schools	47.6%		60.3	145^th of 338 public high schools	57.1%	33				79.0	75.8	72.0				72.0	69.2	75.4		62.5	$13,548	$346	$13,203
Glidden-Ralston Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	602 Idaho	Glidden	51443	Carroll County	Glidden-Ralston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 659-2205	163	13	12.1	28.8%	151 (92.6%)	2 (1.2%)	9 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	46.6	212^th of 340 public high schools	37.6%		39.9	240^th of 338 public high schools	29.0%	28		86.2	81.3	81.8	75.0	70.0		62.1	68.8	63.6	70.0	66.7	62.5	45.0	$18,790	$292	$18,499
Paton-Churdan Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	606 Adrian St	Churdan	50050	Greene County	Paton-Churdan Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 389-3111	99	1	100.0	47.5%	88 (88.9%)	1 (1.0%)	7 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.0%)	62.5	140^th of 340 public high schools	58.8%		70.6	91^st of 338 public high schools	73.1%	49	64.3	69.2	100.0	94.1	82.4	90.0	78.6	69.2	81.3	76.5	52.9	90.0	62.5	58.8	$11,337	$119	$11,218
East Sac County High School	Public	7-12	801 Jackson	Lake View	51450	Sac County	East Sac County Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 665-5001	344	25	13.7	43.6%	317 (92.2%)	4 (1.2%)	15 (4.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	61	151^st of 340 public high schools	55.6%		51.9	182^nd of 338 public high schools	46.2%	31		75.0	80.8	79.2	71.9	75.9		60.7	75.0	75.5	64.9	79.3	69.2	78.9	$16,343	$296	$16,046

Frequently Asked Questions about South Central Calhoun High School

Is South Central Calhoun High School a good school?

South Central Calhoun High School ranks 176^th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of South Central Calhoun High School?

Students at South Central Calhoun High School are 92% White, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% Pacific Islander.

What schools feed into South Central Calhoun High School?

South Central Calhoun High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : South Central Calhoun Elementary School
Middle : South Central Calhoun Middle School

What district is South Central Calhoun High School in?

South Central Calhoun Community School District

How many students attend South Central Calhoun High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 284 students attended South Central Calhoun High School.

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Latest Iowa data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 ISASP test scoresAug 20, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesApr 1, 2025

2017–18 through 2023–24 attendance dataNov 15, 2024

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.