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Central Lee Middle School

Q: Is Central Lee Middle School a good school?

Central Lee Middle School ranks 167 th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

167^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 51% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

Central Lee Middle School is a public middle school in Donnellson, Iowa, serving 280 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Central Lee Community School District, which is ranked 86 out of 313 school districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Central Lee Middle School has consistently performed well on state assessments, with a majority of students scoring proficient or better in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science across all grade levels. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's proficiency rates in 8th grade ELA (87.1% vs. 80.2%) and 8th grade Science (87% vs. 70.5%) were higher than the state averages. While the school's chronic absenteeism rates have fluctuated in recent years, ranging from 8.3% to 23.4%, they are still lower than the nearby Keokuk Middle School and Fort Madison Middle School, which both reported 21.6% chronic absenteeism in 2023-2024.

Another interesting aspect of Central Lee Middle School is its relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 38.93% to 44.57% in recent years. This is lower than the nearby Keokuk Middle School (55.46%) and Fort Madison Middle School (59.33%), indicating a higher socioeconomic status among Central Lee Middle School's student population. Additionally, the school's spending per student for the 2018-2019 school year was $8,969, which is lower than the nearby Keokuk Middle School ($14,473) and Fort Madison Middle School ($17,605), suggesting that Central Lee Middle School is able to achieve strong academic performance with a relatively lower per-student spending compared to the surrounding schools.

394

Students ?

21.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,969

Per pupil spending ?

39.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2642 Highway 218
Donnellson, IA 52625

(319) 835-9510

District: Central Lee Community School District

Students who attend Central Lee Middle School usually attend:

High:

Central Lee High School

Feeder schools for Central Lee Middle School:

Elementary:

Central Lee Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.4%

Hispanic:

3.0%

African American:

1.0%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Central Lee Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 72nd percentile in 2015 → 51st in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Iowa median (51st percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 21 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school73%

District avg73%

Iowa avg72%

167^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 49%▼ down 20 pts since 2015

From top 28% (2015) to top 49% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

86^th of 313Central Lee 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	55.5	167 of 344	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.2	156 of 337	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.8	74 of 334	77.8%	★★★★☆
2022	52.9	168 of 337	50.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.4	104 of 324	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.1	155 of 342	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.2	199 of 318	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	55.8	150 of 327	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2016	58.1	150 of 343	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	68.0	99 of 349	71.6%	★★★★☆
2014	45.3	211 of 337	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	69.0	74 of 350	78.9%	★★★★☆
2012	63.0	117 of 349	66.5%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts75%~ state avg

Science73%+5 vs state

Mathematics72%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Central Lee Middle 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 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Central Lee Middle School	Public	5-8	2642 Highway 218	Donnellson	52625	Lee County	Central Lee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 835-9510	394	19	21.1	39.3%	372 (94.4%)	4 (1.0%)	12 (3.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	4 (1.0%)	55.5	167^th of 344 public middle schools	51.5%		58.2	156^th of 337 public middle schools	53.7%	11	66.3	74.1	73.0	87.1	69.4	72.0	69.7	78.5	58.8	87.0	$8,969	$36	$8,933
Keokuk Middle School	Public	6-8	2002 Orleans Avenue	Keokuk	52632	Lee County	Keokuk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 524-3737	381	26	14.4	53.3%	325 (85.3%)	12 (3.1%)	11 (2.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.1%)	41.7	243^rd of 344 public middle schools	29.4%		40.1	234^th of 337 public middle schools	30.6%	9		66.4	67.2	85.6		74.6	71.1	68.5		72.1	$14,473	$634	$13,839

Frequently Asked Questions about Central Lee Middle School

What district is Central Lee Middle School in?

Central Lee Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Central Lee Middle School?

Students at Central Lee Middle School are 94% White, 3% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Central Lee Middle School attend?

Students who attend Central Lee Middle School usually go on to attend Central Lee High School

Is Central Lee Middle School a good school?

Central Lee Middle School ranks 167^th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Central Lee Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 394 students attended Central Lee Middle School.

Rate Central Lee Middle School!

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Schools in Donnellson, 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.