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Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School

Q: Is Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School a good school?

Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School ranks 225 th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

225^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 34% of Iowa high schools

Summary

Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School is a public school serving 203 students in grades 7-12 in Belle Plaine, Iowa, which is part of the Belle Plaine Community School District. The district is ranked 224 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past few years, Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School has seen a decline in its statewide ranking, dropping from 111 out of 332 Iowa high schools in 2021-2022 to 225 out of 340 in 2024-2025. The school's SchoolDigger rating has also decreased from 3 stars out of 5 to 2 stars out of 5 in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years. However, the school has maintained a relatively high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.5% to 97.6% in recent years. Compared to nearby schools like Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Junior-Senior High School and Iowa Valley Junior-Senior High School, Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School's performance is mixed, with some areas of strength and others where it struggles.

One area of concern is the school's high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.2% to 27.4% in recent years, which are significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 34.72% to 43.35% in recent years, suggesting the school may be serving a population with greater economic challenges. While the school's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are mixed compared to the state and district averages, the school's spending per student was $15,770 in the 2018-2019 school year, and the student-teacher ratio has ranged from 8.9 to 10.3 in recent years.

205

Students ?

10.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,770

Per pupil spending ?

39%

Free/discounted lunch ?

610 13th Ave South
Belle Plaine, IA 52208

(319) 444-3720

District: Belle Plaine Community School District

Feeder schools for Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School:

Elementary:

Longfellow Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.7%

Two or more races:

2.9%

African American:

1.5%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 67th percentile in 2022 → 34th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped from its 67th-percentile peak (2022) to 34th (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school72%

District avg72%

Iowa avg71%

Middle school

196^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 43%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 31% (2015) to bottom 43% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

225^th of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 34%▲ up 23 pts since 2015

From bottom 11% (2015) to bottom 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

224^th of 313Belle Plaine 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	50.8	196 of 344	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.4	268 of 337	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.1	261 of 334	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	58.8	138 of 337	59.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.1	120 of 324	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.5	178 of 342	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.1	264 of 318	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	63.4	114 of 327	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	21.5	301 of 343	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	40.1	242 of 349	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2014	34.8	260 of 337	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	68.1	79 of 350	77.4%	★★★★☆
2012	45.0	217 of 349	37.8%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	43.2	225 of 340	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	52.5	179 of 338	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.8	140 of 336	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.8	111 of 332	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.9	137 of 327	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.2	145 of 327	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.1	121 of 320	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.9	125 of 325	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	55.8	154 of 320	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2015	17.0	289 of 324	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	22.0	279 of 322	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	32.8	288 of 351	17.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	49.4	226 of 351	35.6%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts77%~ state avg

Mathematics69%~ state avg

Science66%-3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High 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
Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	610 13th Ave South	Belle Plaine	52208	Benton County	Belle Plaine Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 444-3720	205	20	10.4	39.0%	192 (93.7%)	3 (1.5%)	3 (1.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	43.2	225^th of 340 public high schools	33.8%		52.5	179^th of 338 public high schools	47.0%	46	92.1	71.8	65.6	74.2	80.0	81.6	69.2	56.3	71.0	64.0	66.7	64.5	$15,770	$267	$15,504
H-L-V Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	402 5th Street	Victor	52347	Iowa County	H-L-V Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 647-2161	133	9	15.3	36.1%	122 (91.7%)	4 (3.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.0%)	45.4	217^th of 340 public high schools	36.2%		49.3	198^th of 338 public high schools	41.4%	19	82.6	94.1	82.1	75.0	72.0	87.0	70.6	42.9	70.0	56.0	82.4	75.0	$16,288	$495	$15,793
Iowa Valley Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	359 E Hilton St	Marengo	52301	Iowa County	Iowa Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 642-3332	229	19	11.8	30.6%	208 (90.8%)	3 (1.3%)	14 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	68.6	99^th of 340 public high schools	70.9%		73.8	67^th of 338 public high schools	80.2%	32	57.4	85.0	80.6	91.4	86.8	48.9	60.0	69.4	80.0	55.3	72.5	82.9	$14,626	$333	$14,293
Benton Community Senior High School	Public	9-12	600 1st St	Van Horne	52346	Benton County	Benton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 228-8701	473	28	16.8	20.3%	434 (91.8%)	7 (1.5%)	14 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.6%)	47	211^th of 340 public high schools	37.9%		64.5	121^st of 338 public high schools	64.2%	90			75.6	75.0	78.4			57.1	62.5	68.6		68.0	$15,474	$238	$15,236
Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	1090 Jackson St	Brooklyn	52211	Poweshiek County	Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 522-7058	268	18	14.7	35.1%	246 (91.8%)	3 (1.1%)	13 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.5%)	71.4	78^th of 340 public high schools	77.1%		51.6	185^th of 338 public high schools	45.3%	107	86.4	89.5	91.5	85.0	83.7	88.6	84.2	74.5	72.5	69.8	78.9	72.5	$15,368	$55	$15,313
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School?

Students at Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School are 94% White, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American, 1% Hispanic.

Is Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School a good school?

Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School ranks 225^th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 205 students attended Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School.

What schools feed into Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School?

Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Longfellow Elementary School

What district is Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School in?

Belle Plaine Community School District

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Schools in Belle Plaine, 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.