Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Aplington Elementary School

Q: Is Aplington Elementary School a good school?

Aplington Elementary School ranks 284 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-5

284^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 51% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Aplington Elementary School in Aplington, IA, serves 165 students in grades 3 through 5 within the highly-rated Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District, a district that ranks in the 79th percentile statewide.

Aplington Elementary has shown a strong upward trend, climbing to a 3-star rating for the 2024-2025 school year after a period of lower ratings. The school’s 5th graders are a standout group, achieving a 78% proficiency rate in English Language Arts, which significantly outperforms the state average and nearly all nearby schools, including Dike Elementary School and Shell Rock Elementary School. This "5th grade bounce" is unique, as many schools see a dip in scores by this grade. The school also demonstrates strong mathematics foundations, with 3rd graders achieving an 82.6% proficiency rate, well above the state average and notably higher than AGWSR Elementary School (65.9%). Furthermore, Aplington has a low chronic absenteeism rate of 11.3%, far below the state average of 21.6% and lower than nearby Clarksville Elementary School (15.1%).

Aplington Elementary is also notable for its efficiency. With a per-student spending of $10,716, it is the most cost-effective school in the comparison group, significantly less than its district counterpart, Parkersburg Elementary School ($13,115), and high-performing peers like Dike Elementary School ($13,350). While Aplington is a solid school, it is surrounded by exceptionally high-performing schools like Dike Elementary (94th percentile) and Shell Rock Elementary (91st percentile), which often have proficiency rates 10-20 percentage points higher. This context highlights that Aplington’s strength lies in its efficient model and its ability to get strong results from its 5th graders, rather than dominating across all grades like its top-tier neighbors.

165

Students ?

14.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,716

Per pupil spending ?

30.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

215 10th St
Aplington, IA 50604

(319) 347-6621

District: Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District

Students who attend Aplington Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Aplington-Parkersburg Middle School
High:	Aplington-Parkersburg High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.7%

Two or more races:

4.2%

Hispanic:

3.6%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Aplington Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 74th percentile in 2015 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Iowa median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school73%

District avg73%

Iowa avg71%

284^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 23 pts since 2015

From top 26% (2015) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

67^th of 313Aplington-Parkersburg 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	56.0	284 of 576	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.8	153 of 557	72.5%	★★★★☆
2023	60.2	245 of 565	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.4	295 of 574	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	55.7	280 of 567	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.7	265 of 603	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.2	293 of 567	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	67.2	210 of 574	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	66.3	222 of 599	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	71.5	160 of 616	74.0%	★★★★☆
2014	78.5	72 of 603	88.1%	★★★★☆
2013	69.0	165 of 624	73.6%	★★★★☆
2012	64.8	220 of 626	64.9%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics77%+3 vs state

Science71%+7 vs state

English Language Arts70%~ state avg

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Aplington Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Aplington Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Aplington Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Aplington Elementary School	Public	3-5	215 10th St	Aplington	50604	Butler County	Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 347-6621	165	12	14.2	30.9%	148 (89.7%)	4 (2.4%)	6 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.2%)	56	284^th of 576 public elementary schools	50.7%		70.8	153^rd of 557 public elementary schools	72.5%	131	60.9	69.4	78.0		82.6	71.4	76.3		71.2	$10,716	$336	$10,380
Parkersburg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	602 Lincoln	Parkersburg	50665	Butler County	Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 346-2446	211	18	11.7	30.8%	189 (89.6%)	2 (0.9%)	7 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.2%)								(n/a)										$13,115	$589	$12,526
AGWSR Elementary School	Public	K-5	1004 4th Ave	Ackley	50601	Hardin County	AGWSR Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 847-2611	227	18	12.8	50.7%	195 (85.9%)	2 (0.9%)	23 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.1%)	46.7	357^th of 576 public elementary schools	38.0%		43.6	372^nd of 557 public elementary schools	33.2%	15	65.9	75.0	62.2		65.9	79.5	78.4		59.5	$14,712	$626	$14,087
The Cougars Den	Public	PK-K	413 State St	Ackley	50601	Hardin County	AGWSR Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 847-2699	35	2	17.5	22.9%	31 (88.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
AGWSR Elementary at Wellsburg	Public	PK, KG-2	609 S Monroe	Wellsburg	50680	Grundy County	AGWSR Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 869-5121	59	5	12.2	33.9%	55 (93.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.4%)								(n/a)										$11,558	$170	$11,389
North Butler Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	513 Birch	Allison	50602	Butler County	North Butler Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 267-2212	271	23	11.7	26.2%	257 (94.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.3%)	65.3	221^st of 576 public elementary schools	61.6%		60.9	244^th of 557 public elementary schools	56.2%	23	80.5	72.7	90.6	72.2	78.6	90.9	71.9	75.0	78.1	$12,806	$637	$12,169
New Hartford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	508 Beaver	New Hartford	50660	Butler County	Dike-New Hartford Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 983-2206	147	9	16.2	23.1%	141 (95.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	82.3	54^th of 576 public elementary schools	90.6%					(n/a)			86.8				77.6		86.8	$12,915	$575	$12,340
Dike Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	330 Main St	Dike	50624	Grundy County	Dike-New Hartford Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 989-2487	306	21	14.3	19.9%	286 (93.5%)	3 (1.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.9%)	85.1	36^th of 576 public elementary schools	93.8%		85.2	34^th of 557 public elementary schools	93.9%	2	86.8	89.2			89.9	87.7				$13,350	$353	$12,997
Grundy Center Elementary School	Public	K-4	903 9th St	Grundy Center	50638	Grundy County	Grundy Center Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 825-5461	283	22	12.6	32.5%	254 (89.8%)	4 (1.4%)	8 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.6%)	66.8	199^th of 576 public elementary schools	65.5%		81.1	62^nd of 557 public elementary schools	88.9%	137	70.2	85.7			80.7	80.7				$12,839	$576	$12,263
Shell Rock Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	214 N Cherry St	Shell Rock	50670	Butler County	Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 885-4311	116	11	10.5	30.2%	104 (89.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.4%)	3 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.3%)	82.6	51^st of 576 public elementary schools	91.1%					(n/a)	83.3	85.7			94.4	85.7				$13,084	$662	$12,421

Frequently Asked Questions about Aplington Elementary School

How many students attend Aplington Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 165 students attended Aplington Elementary School.

What district is Aplington Elementary School in?

Aplington-Parkersburg Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Aplington Elementary School?

Students at Aplington Elementary School are 90% White, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 2% African American.

Is Aplington Elementary School a good school?

Aplington Elementary School ranks 284^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Aplington Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Aplington Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Aplington-Parkersburg Middle School
High : Aplington-Parkersburg High School

Rate Aplington Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IAIowa Elementary School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Aplington, IA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Aplington Elementary School!

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.