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Cherokee Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-4

487^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 15% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Cherokee Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 484 students in grades PK-4 in the Cherokee Community School District in Cherokee, Iowa. The school's performance has fluctuated in recent years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 151 out of 599 Iowa elementary schools in 2015-2016 to 487 out of 576 in 2024-2025.

Cherokee Elementary School's test scores have been mixed compared to state averages. While 3rd and 4th grade students have performed below the state averages in English Language Arts, with proficiency rates ranging from 47.8% to 64.5% compared to the state's 67.9% to 76%, they have performed better in Mathematics, with proficiency rates ranging from 62.3% to 86.7%, closer to or above the state averages of 74.3% to 75.8%. The school has also experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 13.2% to 23.4%, higher than the state's target of 10% or less. Additionally, the school has a significant population of students from low-income families, with 40.72% to 45.25% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, higher than the state average.

Compared to nearby schools, Cherokee Elementary School's performance is mixed. While it outperforms the low-performing Storm Lake schools in test scores, it lags behind the higher-performing schools like Alta Elementary and MMCRU Marcus Elementary, particularly in English Language Arts proficiency. The school's spending per student of $10,621 in 2018-2019 is also lower than the nearby schools, which range from $12,328 to $16,564 per student.

468

Students ?

14.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,621

Per pupil spending ?

50%

Free/discounted lunch ?

204 E. Indian Street
Cherokee, IA 51012

(712) 225-6760

District: Cherokee Community School District

Students who attend Cherokee Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Cherokee Middle School
High:	Washington High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.8%

Hispanic:

13.0%

Two or more races:

2.4%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Cherokee Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 44th percentile in 2015 → 15th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (61% vs 73% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (15th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school61%

District avg61%

Iowa avg73%

487^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 15%▼ down 29 pts since 2015

From bottom 44% (2015) to bottom 15% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

207^th of 313Cherokee 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	21.6	487 of 576	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.7	304 of 557	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.4	274 of 565	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.7	439 of 574	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.5	432 of 567	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	29.4	472 of 603	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	51.9	323 of 567	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	62.5	247 of 574	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2016	71.7	151 of 599	74.8%	★★★★☆
2015	54.3	342 of 616	44.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	54.6	332 of 603	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	50.4	372 of 624	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	62.3	245 of 626	60.9%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics65%-10 vs state

English Language Arts57%-15 vs state

★

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Schools Near Cherokee 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cherokee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	204 E. Indian Street	Cherokee	51012	Cherokee County	Cherokee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 225-6760	468	33	14.0	50.0%	383 (81.8%)	3 (0.6%)	61 (13.0%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.9%)	11 (2.4%)	21.6	487^th of 576 public elementary schools	15.5%		53.7	304^th of 557 public elementary schools	45.4%	183	47.8	64.5		62.3	66.7			$10,621	$458	$10,163
Aurelia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	300 Ash St	Aurelia	51005	Cherokee County	Alta-Aurelia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 434-5595	124	9	14.1	24.2%	107 (86.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (8.1%)	3 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.2%)	53.5	305^th of 576 public elementary schools	47.0%					(n/a)	65.2	92.9		69.6	78.6			$16,210	$697	$15,513
MMCRU Marcus Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	500 E Fenton St	Marcus	51035	Cherokee County	Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 376-2615	166	11	15.3	31.9%	157 (94.6%)	4 (2.4%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.4%)	81.6	58^th of 576 public elementary schools	89.9%		55.1	299^th of 557 public elementary schools	46.3%	241	84.2	82.1		89.5	92.9			$16,564	$450	$16,114
Alta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1009 Main St	Alta	51002	Buena Vista County	Alta-Aurelia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 200-1400	256	17	15.3	40.6%	165 (64.5%)	8 (3.1%)	55 (21.5%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.4%)	6 (2.3%)	73.3	137^th of 576 public elementary schools	76.2%		86.2	29^th of 557 public elementary schools	94.8%	108	76.7	92.5		83.7	77.5			$13,449	$572	$12,877
River Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 South 5th St	Washta	51061	Cherokee County	River Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 447-6318	154	17	9.2	53.2%	144 (93.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	38.2	412^th of 576 public elementary schools	28.5%					(n/a)	70.8	73.9	60.0	66.7	65.2	65.0	61.1	$14,905	$633	$14,272
Storm Lake Early Elementary School	Public	K-1	5950 90th Avenue	Storm lake	50588	Buena Vista County	Storm Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(712) 213-2110	437	34	12.9	73.7%	48 (11.0%)	21 (4.8%)	239 (54.7%)	40 (9.2%)	1 (0.2%)	84 (19.2%)	4 (0.9%)								(n/a)
Storm Lake Elementary	Public	2-5	1810 Hyland Drive	Storm Lake	50588	Buena Vista County	Storm Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 732-8074	822	50	16.3	75.4%	86 (10.5%)	39 (4.7%)	456 (55.5%)	112 (13.6%)	1 (0.1%)	110 (13.4%)	18 (2.2%)	5	551^st of 576 public elementary schools	4.3%		1.9	549^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.4%	2	48.7	46.0	35.9	58.8	39.9	45.9	35.7	$12,446	$1,029	$11,417
Galva-Holstein Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	519 E Maple	Holstein	51025	Ida County	Galva-Holstein Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 368-4353	175	11	15.8	37.1%	148 (84.6%)	4 (2.3%)	17 (9.7%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.7%)	1 (0.6%)								(n/a)	60.5			78.9				$12,328	$718	$11,610

Frequently Asked Questions about Cherokee Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Cherokee Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Cherokee Middle School
High : Washington High School

How many students attend Cherokee Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 468 students attended Cherokee Elementary School.

What district is Cherokee Elementary School in?

Cherokee Community School District

Is Cherokee Elementary School a good school?

Cherokee Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.5% of Iowa elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Cherokee Elementary School?

Students at Cherokee Elementary School are 82% White, 13% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

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IAIowa Elementary School Rankings

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Schools in Cherokee, 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.