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South O'Brien Secondary School

Q: Is South O'Brien Secondary School a good school?

South O'Brien Secondary School ranks 74 th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

74^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 78% of Iowa high schools

Summary

South O'Brien Secondary School is a public high school in Paullina, Iowa, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 242 students. The school is part of the South O'Brien Community School District, which is ranked 88 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South O'Brien Secondary School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Iowa, with a statewide ranking ranging from 45 to 247 over the past 10 years. The school's ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores are generally higher than the state averages across various grade levels and subject areas, with 95.6% proficiency in 11th grade English Language Arts in 2024-2025, compared to the state average of 69.3%. The school's 4-year graduation rate has been around 87-88% in recent years, slightly above the state average. However, the school's chronic absenteeism rate has fluctuated between 11.8% and 23.4% in recent years, which is higher than the state's average.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School and Washington High School, South O'Brien Secondary School generally outperforms them in terms of academic performance and statewide rankings. However, other nearby schools, such as MOC-Floyd Valley High School and MMCRU High School, also demonstrate strong academic performance and are ranked higher than South O'Brien in some years.

241

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,447

Per pupil spending ?

29%

Free/discounted lunch ?

307 W Groesbeck
Paullina, IA 51046-0638

(712) 949-3454

District: South O'Brien Community School District

Feeder schools for South O'Brien Secondary School:

Elementary:

South O'Brien Elementary School - Primghar Center

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.9%

Hispanic:

5.8%

Two or more races:

2.9%

See top rated Iowa high schools

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 79th percentile in 2015 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (84% vs 71% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of Iowa high schools

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the Iowa average (89%)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school84%

District avg84%

Iowa avg71%

Middle school

39^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 11%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From top 23% (2015) to top 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

74^th of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

88^th of 313South O'Brien 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	77.7	39 of 344	88.7%	★★★★☆
2024	88.5	11 of 337	96.7%	★★★★★
2023	43.0	218 of 334	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.3	264 of 337	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	44.4	205 of 324	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.9	225 of 342	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.8	104 of 318	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	60.7	125 of 327	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	85.4	17 of 343	95.0%	★★★★★
2015	70.4	81 of 349	76.8%	★★★★☆
2014	70.5	82 of 337	75.7%	★★★★☆
2013	67.0	91 of 350	74.0%	★★★★☆
2012	69.4	85 of 349	75.6%	★★★★☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	72.5	74 of 340	78.2%	★★★★☆
2024	69.4	96 of 338	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	75.7	52 of 336	84.5%	★★★★☆
2022	79.7	45 of 332	86.4%	★★★★☆
2021	36.1	247 of 327	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	80.8	36 of 327	89.0%	★★★★☆
2018	80.0	27 of 320	91.6%	★★★★★
2017	58.7	156 of 325	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	92.5	5 of 320	98.4%	★★★★★
2015	75.5	67 of 324	79.3%	★★★★☆
2013	70.7	82 of 351	76.6%	★★★★☆
2012	70.0	97 of 351	72.4%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts87%+12 vs state

Mathematics85%+16 vs state

Science73%+4 vs state

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1 rating

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Schools Near South O'Brien Secondary 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 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 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 O'Brien Secondary School	Public	7-12	307 W Groesbeck	Paullina	51046	O'Brien County	South O'Brien Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 949-3454	241	21	11.7	29.0%	219 (90.9%)	1 (0.4%)	14 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.9%)	72.5	74^th of 340 public high schools	78.2%		69.4	96^th of 338 public high schools	71.6%	22	80.0	90.0	92.1	72.7	95.6	85.7	90.0	89.5	66.7	88.9	82.5	60.6	$15,447	$108	$15,339
MMCRU High School	Public	9-12	400 Highland Drive	Marcus	51035	Cherokee County	Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 376-4172	213	15	14.2	29.1%	192 (90.1%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (0.9%)	4 (1.9%)	74.8	58^th of 340 public high schools	82.9%		71.8	80^th of 338 public high schools	76.3%	22			82.0	84.6	77.4			78.0	78.8	77.4		86.5	$19,052	$284	$18,767
Sheldon High School	Public	9-12	1700 East Fourth Street	Sheldon	51201	O'Brien County	Sheldon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 324-2501	356	26	13.5	32.9%	233 (65.4%)	4 (1.1%)	105 (29.5%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	7 (2.0%)	63	136^th of 340 public high schools	60.0%		68.5	99^th of 338 public high schools	70.7%	37			81.8	71.7	80.0			77.3	67.7	76.9		77.4	$16,589	$199	$16,390
Washington High School	Public	9-12	600 W Bluff St	Cherokee	51012	Cherokee County	Cherokee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 225-6755	366	28	12.9	39.9%	299 (81.7%)	1 (0.3%)	37 (10.1%)	7 (1.9%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.5%)	17 (4.6%)	64.9	119^th of 340 public high schools	65.0%		58.3	156^th of 338 public high schools	53.8%	37			84.3	77.7	75.0			75.3	66.0	75.0		80.9	$14,371	$120	$14,251
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School	Public	9-12	300 N 8th Ave W	Hartley	51346	O'Brien County	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 928-3406	203	18	11.2	50.2%	159 (78.3%)	3 (1.5%)	31 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.9%)	53.2	186^th of 340 public high schools	45.3%		54.2	174^th of 338 public high schools	48.5%	12			90.4	60.3	85.0			86.5	58.6	65.0		63.8	$33,752	$177	$33,576
MOC-Floyd Valley High School	Public	9-12	615 8th St SE	Orange City	51041	Sioux County	MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 737-4871	486	35	14.0	21.0%	351 (72.2%)	10 (2.1%)	107 (22.0%)	7 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.1%)	79.1	37^th of 340 public high schools	89.1%		77.8	44^th of 338 public high schools	87.0%	7			89.2	82.1	86.1			85.6	77.2	88.5		74.8	$15,439	$397	$15,042

Frequently Asked Questions about South O'Brien Secondary School

Is South O'Brien Secondary School a good school?

South O'Brien Secondary School ranks 74^th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend South O'Brien Secondary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 241 students attended South O'Brien Secondary School.

What district is South O'Brien Secondary School in?

South O'Brien Community School District

What is the racial makeup of South O'Brien Secondary School?

Students at South O'Brien Secondary School are 91% White, 6% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

What schools feed into South O'Brien Secondary School?

South O'Brien Secondary School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : South O'Brien Elementary School - Primghar Center

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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.