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GMG Secondary School

Q: Is GMG Secondary School a good school?

GMG Secondary School ranks 223 rd of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

223^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 34% of Iowa high schools

Summary

GMG Secondary School is a public high school located in Garwin, Iowa, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 210 students. The school is part of the GMG Community School District, which is ranked 277 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

GMG Secondary School has a relatively stable four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.5% to 97.1% in recent years, which is generally on par with or slightly higher than the state average. However, the school has experienced higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to the state average, ranging from 20.2% to 34.7%. In terms of academic performance, the school's proficiency rates on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) tests are mixed. While the school's English Language Arts proficiency is generally above the state average, particularly in 10th and 11th grades, its Mathematics proficiency rates are often below the state average, especially in 9th and 10th grades.

When comparing GMG Secondary School to nearby high schools, some interesting patterns emerge. Grundy Center High School and BCLUW High School consistently outperform GMG Secondary School on both ELA and Math ISASP tests, while Marshalltown High School and South Tama County High School have lower test scores, particularly in Mathematics. GMG Secondary School's lower spending per student ($14,599 in 2018-2019) compared to nearby schools and its relatively low student-teacher ratio suggest that resource allocation and teaching practices may be areas to explore in order to improve student outcomes, especially in Mathematics.

205

Students ?

10.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,599

Per pupil spending ?

51.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

306 Park Street
Garwin, IA 50632-9730

(641) 499-2005

District: GMG Community School District

Feeder schools for GMG Secondary School:

Elementary:

GMG Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.8%

Hispanic:

4.9%

African American:

3.4%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare GMG Secondary School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 75th percentile in 2017 → 34th in 2025

Strengths

✓97% graduate in 4 years — above the Iowa average (88%)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (63% vs 71% meeting standards)

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

!Ranking has slipped from its 75th-percentile peak (2017) to 34th (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school63%

District avg63%

Iowa avg71%

Middle school

304^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 12%▼ down 36 pts since 2015

From bottom 48% (2015) to bottom 12% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

223^rd of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 20% (2015) to bottom 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

277^th of 313GMG 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	16.9	304 of 344	11.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.4	285 of 337	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.2	256 of 334	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	33.8	251 of 337	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	62.2	117 of 324	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.6	135 of 342	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.3	106 of 318	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	69.3	82 of 327	74.9%	★★★★☆
2016	44.9	219 of 343	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	53.0	183 of 349	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	57.8	149 of 337	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	62.1	127 of 350	63.7%	★★★☆☆
2012	46.4	209 of 349	40.1%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	43.7	223 of 340	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.5	203 of 338	39.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.5	164 of 336	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.0	187 of 332	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.6	203 of 327	37.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.1	158 of 327	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	35.4	253 of 320	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	72.0	82 of 325	74.8%	★★★★☆
2016	18.9	276 of 320	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	28.4	260 of 324	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	54.8	167 of 322	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2013	70.5	86 of 351	75.5%	★★★★☆
2012	50.3	222 of 351	36.8%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts76%~ state avg

Science58%-10 vs state

Mathematics52%-17 vs state

★

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Schools Near GMG Secondary School

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
GMG Secondary School	Public	7-12	306 Park Street	Garwin	50632	Tama County	GMG Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 499-2005	205	19	10.9	51.2%	180 (87.8%)	7 (3.4%)	10 (4.9%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	43.7	223^rd of 340 public high schools	34.4%		48.5	203^rd of 338 public high schools	39.9%	20	58.8	82.9	78.6	81.3	78.6	57.6	48.6	39.3	50.0	64.3	48.6	68.8	$14,599	$177	$14,421
East Marshall Senior High School	Public	9-12	201 N Franklin	Le Grand	50142	Marshall County	East Marshall Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 479-2785	217	18	12.1	33.6%	193 (88.9%)	5 (2.3%)	12 (5.5%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.8%)	64.3	124^th of 340 public high schools	63.5%		47.8	209^th of 338 public high schools	38.2%	85			89.1	77.1	75.9			73.9	72.9	63.0		79.2	$15,810	$216	$15,593
South Tama County High School	Public	9-12	1715 Harding St	Tama	52339	Tama County	South Tama County	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 484-4345	421	25	17.0	55.8%	196 (46.6%)	5 (1.2%)	155 (36.8%)	5 (1.2%)	33 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.2%)	24.5	285^th of 340 public high schools	16.2%		18.1	297^th of 338 public high schools	12.1%	12			71.7	75.0	50.9			54.0	57.6	50.0		53.3	$16,283	$413	$15,869
North Tama High School	Public	7-12	605 Walnut	Traer	50675	Tama County	North Tama County Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 478-2265	203	16	12.7	42.9%	185 (91.1%)	2 (1.0%)	9 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.4%)	39.2	245^th of 340 public high schools	27.9%		48.4	205^th of 338 public high schools	39.3%	40	62.8	80.0	74.2	56.3	82.8	69.8	56.7	45.2	65.6	75.9	46.7	58.1	$15,071	$555	$14,517
Marshalltown Virtual Academy	Public, Virtual	7-12	1002 South 3rd Avenue	Marshalltown	50158	Marshall County	Marshalltown Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(641) 754-1000	90	1	166.6	67.8%	38 (42.2%)	1 (1.1%)	41 (45.6%)	2 (2.2%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (6.7%)	0.7	333^rd of 340 public high schools	2.1%		0.6	330^th of 338 public high schools	2.4%	3				45.5	33.3				33.3	8.3		25.0
Marshalltown High School	Public	9-12	1602 S 2nd Ave	Marshalltown	50158	Marshall County	Marshalltown Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 754-1130	1,629	102	16.0	72.6%	496 (30.4%)	51 (3.1%)	936 (57.5%)	85 (5.2%)	15 (0.9%)	6 (0.4%)	39 (2.4%)	16.5	300^th of 340 public high schools	11.8%		17.6	299^th of 338 public high schools	11.5%	1			59.6	61.0	54.9			45.3	51.5	52.6		59.7	$14,964	$447	$14,517
BCLUW High School	Public	9-12	610 East Center Street	Conrad	50621	Grundy County	BCLUW Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 366-2810	172	17	9.9	37.2%	163 (94.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	4 (2.3%)	78.6	39^th of 340 public high schools	88.5%		71	88^th of 338 public high schools	74.0%	49			84.6	85.4	88.1			87.5	75.6	83.3		75.6	$15,194	$294	$14,900
Gladbrook-Reinbeck Junior High & High School	Public	7-12	600 Blackhawk Street	Reinbeck	50669	Grundy County	Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 345-2921	207	20	10.1	37.7%	185 (89.4%)	3 (1.4%)	4 (1.9%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.3%)	56.3	169^th of 340 public high schools	50.3%		46.7	213^th of 338 public high schools	37.0%	44	81.8	67.6	90.9	69.2	76.7	84.8	82.4	81.8	76.9	76.7	82.4	48.7	$15,800	$458	$15,344
Grundy Center High School	Public	9-12	1006 M Ave	Grundy Center	50638	Grundy County	Grundy Center Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 825-5449	241	20	12.3	32.4%	226 (93.8%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	2 (0.8%)	9 (3.7%)	90.4	6^th of 340 public high schools	98.2%		86.1	13^th of 338 public high schools	96.2%	7			98.1	94.6	87.1			90.9	91.1	81.4		91.1	$17,683	$238	$17,445

Frequently Asked Questions about GMG Secondary School

What district is GMG Secondary School in?

GMG Community School District

How many students attend GMG Secondary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 205 students attended GMG Secondary School.

Is GMG Secondary School a good school?

GMG Secondary School ranks 223^rd of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of GMG Secondary School?

Students at GMG Secondary School are 88% White, 5% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Two or more races.

What schools feed into GMG Secondary School?

GMG Secondary School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : GMG Elementary School

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Schools in Garwin, IA

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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.