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Van Allen Elementary School

Q: Is Van Allen Elementary School a good school?

Van Allen Elementary School ranks 362 nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-5

362^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 37% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Van Allen Elementary School is a public elementary school in Chariton, Iowa, serving 276 students in grades 3-5. The school is part of the Chariton Community School District, which is ranked 237 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Van Allen Elementary has faced several challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 18.4% to 28.0% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state average. The school's academic performance has been mixed, with some grade levels and subjects performing well, while others, particularly in Mathematics for 4th and 5th grades, have struggled. Additionally, Van Allen Elementary has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 51.97% to 54.81%, suggesting a relatively high proportion of students from low-income families.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Southeast Warren Primary, which is in a different district, Van Allen Elementary has notably lower test scores in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. This suggests that the challenges faced by Van Allen Elementary may be systemic within the Chariton Community School District, which is ranked relatively low in the state. Addressing the chronic absenteeism issue and improving academic outcomes, particularly in Mathematics, could be key focus areas for the school and district to improve overall performance.

292

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,903

Per pupil spending ?

59.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1129 Ashland
Chariton, IA 50049

(641) 774-5047

District: Chariton Community School District

Students who attend Van Allen Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Chariton Middle School
High:	Chariton High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.7%

Hispanic:

7.9%

Two or more races:

2.1%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Van Allen Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 22nd percentile in 2015 → 37th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school69%

District avg69%

Iowa avg71%

362^nd of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 37%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 22% (2015) to bottom 37% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

237^th of 313Chariton 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	45.9	362 of 576	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.1	414 of 557	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	36.2	423 of 565	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	37.0	411 of 574	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.4	474 of 567	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.3	388 of 603	35.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.3	356 of 567	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	42.6	401 of 574	30.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	45.4	393 of 599	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2015	33.3	479 of 616	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	52.4	354 of 603	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2013	40.2	457 of 624	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	58.1	295 of 626	52.9%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Science72%+8 vs state

English Language Arts72%~ state avg

Mathematics66%-8 vs state

★

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Schools Near Van Allen Elementary 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 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
Van Allen Elementary School	Public	3-5	1129 Ashland	Chariton	50049	Lucas County	Chariton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 774-5047	292	18	16.1	59.9%	262 (89.7%)	1 (0.3%)	23 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	45.9	362^nd of 576 public elementary schools	37.2%		35.1	414^th of 557 public elementary schools	25.7%	52	70.7	72.9	71.8		73.7	60.4	63.5		71.8	$12,903	$1,028	$11,874
Columbus Elementary School	Public	K-2	1215 Linden Ave	Chariton	50049	Lucas County	Chariton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 774-4712	301	20	15.1	65.4%	270 (89.7%)	1 (0.3%)	25 (8.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)								(n/a)										$12,543	$1,038	$11,505
Melcher-Dallas Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1003 E Park St	Dallas	50062	Marion County	Melcher-Dallas Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 947-3151	157	12	13.1	38.9%	153 (97.5%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.9%)	37.9	416^th of 576 public elementary schools	27.8%		39.2	390^th of 557 public elementary schools	30.0%	26	22.7	83.3	60.0	88.9	40.9	75.0	40.0	88.9	50.0	$11,236	$776	$10,459
Mormon Trail Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	403 S Front St	Humeston	50123	Wayne County	Mormon Trail Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 877-2521	132	14	9.6	63.6%	130 (98.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	26.7	467^th of 576 public elementary schools	18.9%		24	459^th of 557 public elementary schools	17.6%	8	46.2	72.7	50.0	84.6	76.9	54.5	56.3	53.8	50.0	$14,641	$1,026	$13,616
Wayne Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	607 South West Street	Corydon	50060	Wayne County	Wayne Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 872-1034	328	28	11.8	51.2%	306 (93.3%)	3 (0.9%)	6 (1.8%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.4%)	51.8	319^th of 576 public elementary schools	44.6%		72.7	128^th of 557 public elementary schools	77.0%	191	62.2	66.7	81.3	79.2	62.2	63.6	70.8	79.2	77.1	$10,491	$866	$9,625
Southeast Warren Primary	Public	PK, KG-4	316 N 5th	Milo	50166	Warren County	Southeast Warren Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 942-6216	162	16	10.3	35.8%	157 (96.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	69.3	180^th of 576 public elementary schools	68.8%					(n/a)	75.9	81.8			79.3	86.4				$12,545	$574	$11,972

Frequently Asked Questions about Van Allen Elementary School

Is Van Allen Elementary School a good school?

Van Allen Elementary School ranks 362^nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Van Allen Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Van Allen Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Chariton Middle School
High : Chariton High School

How many students attend Van Allen Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 292 students attended Van Allen Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Van Allen Elementary School?

Students at Van Allen Elementary School are 90% White, 8% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Van Allen Elementary School in?

Chariton Community School District

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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.