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Colo-Nesco Elementary School

Q: Is Colo-Nesco Elementary School a good school?

Colo-Nesco Elementary School ranks 424 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

424^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 26% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Colo-Nesco Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-4 in Zearing, Iowa, with 164 students. The school is part of the Colo-NESCO Community School District, which is ranked 252 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Colo-Nesco Elementary School has seen fluctuations in its academic performance, with its statewide ranking ranging from 117 to 424 out of over 500 Iowa elementary schools. Its performance on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) tests has also been mixed, with some grades and subjects performing above the state average, while others are below. The school has experienced high rates of chronic absenteeism, ranging from 12.5% to 23.4% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, Colo-Nesco Elementary has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 42.58% to 44.03% in recent years.

When comparing Colo-Nesco Elementary School to nearby schools, such as Gilbert Intermediate School and Central Elementary School, the higher-performing schools tend to have lower rates of chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch recipients. Additionally, the school's per-student spending of $14,066 is higher than some of the higher-performing nearby schools, suggesting that factors beyond just funding may be contributing to Colo-Nesco Elementary's performance. The school's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past decade, from a high of 117 in 2014-2015 to 424 in 2024-2025, indicating that the school may be facing challenges in maintaining or improving its academic performance.

169

Students ?

11.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,066

Per pupil spending ?

50.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

407 N Center
Zearing, IA 50278

(641) 487-7411

District: Colo-NESCO Community School District

Students who attend Colo-Nesco Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Colo-NESCO Middle/High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

85.2%

Two or more races:

7.7%

Hispanic:

7.1%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Colo-Nesco Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 81st percentile in 2015 → 26th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (67% vs 73% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 55 percentile points since 2015

!English Language Arts scores 11 pts below the Iowa average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school67%

District avg67%

Iowa avg73%

424^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 26%▼ down 55 pts since 2015

From top 19% (2015) to bottom 26% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

252^nd of 313Colo-NESCO 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	36.2	424 of 576	26.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	55.8	292 of 557	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.9	238 of 565	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.6	346 of 574	39.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	50.4	311 of 567	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.7	355 of 603	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	58.8	268 of 567	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2017	72.3	149 of 574	74.0%	★★★★☆
2016	72.0	148 of 599	75.3%	★★★★☆
2015	75.6	117 of 616	81.0%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics73%~ state avg

English Language Arts61%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Colo-Nesco 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
Colo-Nesco Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	407 N Center	Zearing	50278	Story County	Colo-NESCO Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 487-7411	169	15	11.5	50.9%	144 (85.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.7%)	36.2	424^th of 576 public elementary schools	26.4%		55.8	292^nd of 557 public elementary schools	47.6%	132	54.2	68.0		75.0	72.0			$14,066	$671	$13,396
West Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	207 3rd St SW	State Center	50247	Marshall County	West Marshall Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 483-2671	412	29	14.3	33.3%	369 (89.6%)	1 (0.2%)	26 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	69.1	181^st of 576 public elementary schools	68.6%		68.6	177^th of 557 public elementary schools	68.2%	4	81.8	80.3	77.8	90.9	74.2	77.8	70.4	$10,443	$372	$10,072
Hubbard-Radcliffe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	501 Isabella	Radcliffe	50230	Hardin County	Hubbard-Radcliffe Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 899-2111	181	14	12.7	32.0%	157 (86.7%)	2 (1.1%)	13 (7.2%)	2 (1.1%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.8%)	83.1	46^th of 576 public elementary schools	92.0%		71	150^th of 557 public elementary schools	73.1%	104	80.0	86.7	84.2	86.7	86.7	94.7	89.5	$14,278	$482	$13,797
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	925 H Ave	Nevada	50201	Story County	Nevada Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 382-2383	632	46	13.7	40.5%	515 (81.5%)	4 (0.6%)	84 (13.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.4%)	87.4	22^nd of 576 public elementary schools	96.2%		73.1	124^th of 557 public elementary schools	77.7%	102	89.8	86.7		94.3	92.0			$11,518	$1,130	$10,388
Roland-Story Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	900 Hillcrest Dr	Story City	50248	Story County	Roland-Story Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 733-4386	446	29	15.2	16.1%	411 (92.2%)	5 (1.1%)	19 (4.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	86.2	31^st of 576 public elementary schools	94.6%		85.4	32^nd of 557 public elementary schools	94.3%	1	84.0	89.5		90.7	92.1			$11,242	$484	$10,758
Eldora-New Providence Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1100 10th St	Eldora	50627	Hardin County	Eldora-New Providence Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 939-9350	242	21	11.5	46.3%	215 (88.8%)	3 (1.2%)	17 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.5%)	45.2	368^th of 576 public elementary schools	36.1%		63.9	211^th of 557 public elementary schools	62.1%	157	72.7	74.3	58.5	81.8	77.1	56.1	63.4	$14,520	$1,122	$13,398
Gilbert Intermediate School	Public	3-5	103 Mathews Dr	Gilbert	50105	Story County	Gilbert Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 232-3748	356	21	16.8	8.1%	288 (80.9%)	7 (2.0%)	24 (6.7%)	20 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.8%)	91.2	12^th of 576 public elementary schools	97.9%		92.8	4^th of 557 public elementary schools	99.3%	8	91.4	90.8	89.0	92.2	95.8	90.7	92.4	$11,603	$317	$11,285
Collins-Maxwell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	416 Fourth Avenue	Collins	50055	Story County	Collins-Maxwell Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 385-2446	182	17	10.9	41.2%	169 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.7%)	80.1	74^th of 576 public elementary schools	87.2%		72.5	130^th of 557 public elementary schools	76.7%	56	46.2	89.7	97.0	69.2	86.2	90.9	90.9	$14,450	$518	$13,932
Gilbert Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	109 Rothmoor	Gilbert	50105	Story County	Gilbert Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 232-3744	409	25	16.3	5.4%	343 (83.9%)	5 (1.2%)	19 (4.6%)	21 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.9%)								(n/a)								$12,378	$377	$12,000
Meeker Elementary School	Public	K-5	300 20th Street	Ames	50010	Story County	Ames Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 239-3770	361	32	11.2	42.1%	253 (70.1%)	19 (5.3%)	34 (9.4%)	9 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (12.2%)	62.7	238^th of 576 public elementary schools	58.7%		63.8	216^th of 557 public elementary schools	61.2%	22	71.7	86.7	71.7	78.3	75.6	71.7	76.7	$13,221	$1,032	$12,190

Frequently Asked Questions about Colo-Nesco Elementary School

What district is Colo-Nesco Elementary School in?

Colo-NESCO Community School District

How many students attend Colo-Nesco Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 169 students attended Colo-Nesco Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Colo-Nesco Elementary School?

Students at Colo-Nesco Elementary School are 85% White, 8% Two or more races, 7% Hispanic.

What schools do graduates of Colo-Nesco Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Colo-Nesco Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Colo-NESCO Middle/High School

Is Colo-Nesco Elementary School a good school?

Colo-Nesco Elementary School ranks 424^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Rate Colo-Nesco Elementary School!

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Schools in Zearing, 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.