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Essex Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

526^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 9% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Essex Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the Essex Community School District in Essex, Iowa. With 121 students, the school has consistently struggled, ranking 526 out of 576 Iowa elementary schools and earning a 0 out of 5 star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's performance has declined over the past several years, dropping from a 3-star rating in 2018-2019 to its current 0-star rating.

Essex Elementary School faces significant challenges, including high chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 17.5% to 23.4% over the past few years, well above the state average. The school's test scores are also consistently below state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, only 65% of 4th graders were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 76%, and only 23.1% of 5th graders were proficient in Mathematics, compared to the state average of 71.5%. Additionally, the school has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 48.76% to 60.55% over the past few years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When comparing Essex Elementary School to nearby schools, such as Sidney Elementary School, which is located 18.53 miles away, it becomes clear that Essex is underperforming. Sidney Elementary has significantly higher test scores and a higher school ranking (162 out of 576 Iowa elementary schools). Addressing the challenges at Essex Elementary, including improving attendance, academic performance, and supporting economically disadvantaged students, will be crucial for the school and the Essex Community School District to improve student outcomes.

101

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,793

Per pupil spending ?

37.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

111 Forbes St
Essex, IA 51638

(712) 379-3114

District: Essex Community School District

Students who attend Essex Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Essex Junior-Senior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.1%

Hispanic:

5.9%

Two or more races:

4.0%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Essex Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 26th percentile in 2015 → 9th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (46% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (9th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 17 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg46%

Iowa avg71%

526^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 9%▼ down 17 pts since 2015

From bottom 26% (2015) to bottom 9% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

292^nd of 313Essex 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	10.8	526 of 576	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.1	478 of 557	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	50.4	324 of 565	42.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.4	251 of 574	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.8	240 of 567	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	65.4	214 of 603	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.0	444 of 567	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	53.6	325 of 574	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	40.3	436 of 599	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	37.7	457 of 616	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	46.2	406 of 603	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	69.1	162 of 624	74.0%	★★★★☆
2012	61.8	252 of 626	59.7%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts52%-21 vs state

Mathematics45%-27 vs state

Science31%-33 vs state

★

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Schools Near Essex 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
Essex Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	111 Forbes St	Essex	51638	Page County	Essex Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 379-3114	101	7	13.5	37.6%	91 (90.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.0%)	10.8	526^th of 576 public elementary schools	8.7%		18.1	478^th of 557 public elementary schools	14.2%	48		65.0	30.8			60.0	23.1		30.8	$15,793	$829	$14,965
Shenandoah Elementary School	Public	K-4	601 Dr. Creighton Circle	Shenandoah	51601	Page County	Shenandoah Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 246-2520	349	31	11.0	46.7%	312 (89.4%)	3 (0.9%)	21 (6.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.9%)	52.3	315^th of 576 public elementary schools	45.3%		63.6	217^th of 557 public elementary schools	61.0%	98	64.9	81.3			71.4	77.3				$12,333	$802	$11,531
Inman Elementary School	Public	K-6	900 Inman Drive	Red Oak	51566	Montgomery County	Red Oak Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 623-6635	461	34	13.4	53.6%	399 (86.6%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.5%)	15.4	504^th of 576 public elementary schools	12.5%		15.3	487^th of 557 public elementary schools	12.6%	17	41.1	58.0	58.7	53.6	62.5	58.0	56.0	61.8	50.7	$13,647	$822	$12,825
Stanton Elementary School	Public	K-5	605 Elliott Street	Stanton	51573	Montgomery County	Stanton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 829-2171	145	5	27.9	35.2%	137 (94.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.8%)	79.4	80^th of 576 public elementary schools	86.1%		69	174^th of 557 public elementary schools	68.8%	94	100.0	80.8	73.9		93.8	80.8	91.3		87.0	$12,043	$476	$11,568
Garfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	901 S. 15th	Clarinda	51632	Page County	Clarinda Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 542-4510	573	42	13.7	47.6%	519 (90.6%)	2 (0.3%)	26 (4.5%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.7%)	54	301^st of 576 public elementary schools	47.7%		44.8	365^th of 557 public elementary schools	34.5%	64	59.7	73.6	64.9	72.6	87.0	84.7	80.5	67.7	67.5	$9,763	$407	$9,357
South Page Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	606 Iowa Ave	College Springs	51637	Page County	South Page Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 582-3212	36	9	3.8	75.0%	31 (86.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (8.3%)								(n/a)										$19,480	$1,207	$18,272
Sylvia Enarson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	219 Central Avenue	Villisca	50864	Montgomery County	Villisca Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 826-5982	112	10	11.4	51.8%	106 (94.6%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	57.3	279^th of 576 public elementary schools	51.6%		64.1	208^th of 557 public elementary schools	62.7%	71	76.5	54.5	71.4		76.5	72.7	85.7		71.4	$16,557	$1,288	$15,269
Sidney Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1004 Illinois St	Sidney	51652	Fremont County	Sidney Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 374-2647	241	15	15.9	57.7%	206 (85.5%)	1 (0.4%)	23 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.1%)	71	162^nd of 576 public elementary schools	71.9%		57.7	272^nd of 557 public elementary schools	51.2%	110	72.2	77.1	81.0	79.3	75.0	91.4	95.2	86.2	81.0	$14,138	$723	$13,416
East Mills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1505 E 15th Street	Malvern	51551	Mills County	East Mills Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 624-8696	214	22	9.7	47.7%	197 (92.1%)	1 (0.5%)	8 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.7%)	29.8	461^st of 576 public elementary schools	20.0%		49.9	331^st of 557 public elementary schools	40.6%	130	43.3	82.1	51.6		63.3	78.6	48.4		58.1	$13,482	$675	$12,807
Fremont-Mills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1114 US Hwy 275	Tabor	51653	Fremont County	Fremont-Mills Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 629-6555	262	20	13.1	35.5%	238 (90.8%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.7%)	36.7	422^nd of 576 public elementary schools	26.7%		46.2	354^th of 557 public elementary schools	36.4%	68	54.8	56.3	66.7	80.8	58.1	65.6	77.8	61.5	74.1	$12,355	$289	$12,067

Frequently Asked Questions about Essex Elementary School

How many students attend Essex Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 101 students attended Essex Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Essex Elementary School?

Students at Essex Elementary School are 90% White, 6% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Essex Elementary School attend?

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

High : Essex Junior-Senior High School

What district is Essex Elementary School in?

Essex Community School District

Is Essex Elementary School a good school?

Essex Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.7% of Iowa elementary schools.

Rate Essex Elementary School!

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Schools in Essex, 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.