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Diagonal Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

Summary

Diagonal Elementary School is a small public school in Diagonal, Iowa, serving 68 students in grades PK-5. Despite its small size, the school consistently performs well above the state average in academic assessments, with 81.8% of 5th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 69% and 70.7%, respectively.

Diagonal Elementary School's academic excellence is particularly impressive given its high percentage of students from low-income families. The school has seen a decrease in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 64.1% in 2020-2021 to 39.71% in 2022-2023, which is still higher than the state average but lower than some nearby schools. The school also has a very low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 10:1 to 13.7:1 over the past three school years, significantly lower than the nearby Creston Community School District and Lenox Community School District, which have ratios ranging from 11.7:1 to 14.6:1.

While Diagonal Elementary School's academic performance is commendable, the school's student population is significantly less diverse compared to nearby schools like Creston Elementary School and Lenox Elementary School. In the 2022-2023 school year, the student body at Diagonal Elementary School was 98.53% White, with only 1.47% African American students and no other racial/ethnic groups represented. This lack of diversity may be an area for the Diagonal Community School District to explore and address.

Students ?

8.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,755

Per pupil spending ?

39.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

403 W 2nd Street
Diagonal, IA 50845-0094

(641) 734-5331

District: Diagonal Community School District

Students who attend Diagonal Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Diagonal Junior-Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

100.0%

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At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 71st percentile in 2012 → 78th in 2024

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (76% vs 66% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2012

✓Small classes — about 8 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2023-2024) ?

This school76%

District avg76%

Iowa avg66%

Not ranked this year

Diagonal Elementary School did not have enough recent test-score data to be ranked. Check the trend below for past years.

311^th of 313Diagonal 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
2024	73.0	125 of 557	77.6%	★★★★☆
2019	68.5	183 of 603	69.7%	★★★★☆
2013	68.2	173 of 624	72.3%	★★★★☆
2012	67.5	182 of 626	70.9%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Iowa (2023-2024) ?

English Language Arts82%+13 vs state

Mathematics82%+11 vs state

Science64%+4 vs state

★

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Schools Near Diagonal 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
Diagonal Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	403 W 2nd Street	Diagonal	50845	Ringgold County	Diagonal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 734-5331	58	7	8.5	39.7%	58 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$15,755	$1,392	$14,363
Mount Ayr Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	607 E Jefferson	Mount Ayr	50854	Ringgold County	Mount Ayr Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 464-0537	280	23	12.2	41.4%	257 (91.8%)	3 (1.1%)	14 (5.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	72.7	140^th of 576 public elementary schools	75.7%		60.2	253^rd of 557 public elementary schools	54.6%	113	78.7	86.1	73.7		87.2	83.3	76.3		73.7	$17,706	$1,168	$16,538
Lenox Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	600 S. Locust St.	Lenox	50851	Taylor County	Lenox Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 333-2244	308	22	14.0	51.3%	207 (67.2%)	2 (0.6%)	94 (30.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.6%)	57.5	278^th of 576 public elementary schools	51.7%		74	118^th of 557 public elementary schools	78.8%	160	57.9	83.3	57.6	77.3	81.6	88.9	75.8	88.6	54.5	$11,735	$549	$11,185
East Union Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1916 High School Dr.	Afton	50830	Union County	East Union Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 347-5411	201	18	10.8	55.7%	189 (94.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.5%)	58.5	271^st of 576 public elementary schools	53.0%		78	83^rd of 557 public elementary schools	85.1%	188	58.8	93.9	79.2		76.5	81.8	58.3		70.8	$14,373	$1,097	$13,276
Creston Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	901 N Elm St	Creston	50801	Union County	Creston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 782-2724	142	11	12.9	40.8%	128 (90.1%)	2 (1.4%)	9 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)								(n/a)										$15,230	$1,144	$14,086
Creston Elementary School	Public	1-5	805 Academic Ave	Creston	50801	Union County	Creston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 782-1155	416	32	13.0	56.3%	365 (87.7%)	6 (1.4%)	28 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	14 (3.4%)	44.9	372^nd of 576 public elementary schools	35.4%		46.2	355^th of 557 public elementary schools	36.3%	17	67.9	74.4	62.5		71.4	73.3	68.1		63.9	$12,712	$1,418	$11,294

Frequently Asked Questions about Diagonal Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Diagonal Elementary School?

Students at Diagonal Elementary School are 100% White.

How many students attend Diagonal Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 58 students attended Diagonal Elementary School.

What district is Diagonal Elementary School in?

Diagonal Community School District

What schools do graduates of Diagonal Elementary School attend?

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

High : Diagonal Junior-Senior High School

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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.