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Essex Junior-Senior High School

Q: Is Essex Junior-Senior High School a good school?

Essex Junior-Senior High School ranks 244 th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-12

244^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 28% of Iowa high schools

Summary

Essex Junior-Senior High School is a public high school located in Essex, Iowa, serving grades 6-12 with a total enrollment of 94 students. The school is part of the Essex Community School District, which is ranked 292 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The school has had a relatively strong four-year graduation rate, ranging from 87.5% to 92.3% over the past few years, which is generally higher than the state average. However, the school's performance on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) tests is mixed, with some grade levels and subject areas performing above the state average, while others, such as 6th grade English Language Arts and 9th grade Mathematics, lag behind. Additionally, Essex Junior-Senior High School has a relatively high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 17.5% to 23.4% over the past few years, which is higher than the state average. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 42.71% to 55.32% over the past few years, indicating a higher level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to nearby schools, Essex Junior-Senior High School generally performs better than the smaller South Page Senior High School, but lags behind larger schools like Clarinda High School and Shenandoah High School in terms of test scores and state rankings. The school's performance on the SchoolDigger state rankings has also fluctuated significantly over the years, ranging from a high of 61st out of 332 Iowa high schools in 2021-2022 to a low of 296th out of 327 in 2018-2019, suggesting that the school's performance may be inconsistent or influenced by factors beyond just the school's control.

Students ?

9.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,949

Per pupil spending ?

31%

Free/discounted lunch ?

111 Forbes St
Essex, IA 51638

(712) 379-3115

District: Essex Community School District

Feeder schools for Essex Junior-Senior High School:

Elementary:

Essex Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.5%

Hispanic:

8.0%

Two or more races:

3.4%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Essex Junior-Senior High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 82nd percentile in 2022 → 28th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (65% vs 72% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 82nd-percentile peak (2022) to 28th (2025)

!Mathematics scores 14 pts below the Iowa average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school65%

District avg65%

Iowa avg72%

Middle school

286^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 17%▼ down 38 pts since 2015

From top 45% (2015) to bottom 17% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

244^th of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 28%▼ down 18 pts since 2016

From bottom 46% (2016) to bottom 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	25.2	286 of 344	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	53.3	182 of 337	46.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	82.2	25 of 334	92.5%	★★★★★
2022	55.7	154 of 337	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	42.3	218 of 324	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	57.8	147 of 342	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.0	232 of 318	27.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	44.0	213 of 327	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2016	36.0	249 of 343	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	58.8	157 of 349	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	69.0	75 of 350	78.6%	★★★★☆
2012	88.0	5 of 349	98.6%	★★★★★

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	39.4	244 of 340	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.1	248 of 338	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	72.2	73 of 336	78.3%	★★★★☆
2022	75.0	61 of 332	81.6%	★★★★☆
2021	48.3	188 of 327	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	17.8	296 of 327	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	71.0	88 of 320	72.5%	★★★★☆
2017	50.0	197 of 325	39.4%	★★☆☆☆
2016	50.7	173 of 320	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2014	8.3	303 of 322	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	58.3	167 of 351	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	71.8	83 of 351	76.4%	★★★★☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts73%~ state avg

Science67%-4 vs state

Mathematics56%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near Essex Junior-Senior High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Essex Junior-Senior High School	Public	6-12	111 Forbes St	Essex	51638	Page County	Essex Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 379-3115	87	9	9.5	31.0%	77 (88.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.4%)	39.4	244^th of 340 public high schools	28.2%		37.1	248^th of 338 public high schools	26.6%	4	46.2	66.7	91.7	63.6	80.0	92.3	53.8	60.0	61.5	54.5	50.0	53.8	66.7		$19,949	$371	$19,579
Shenandoah High School	Public	9-12	1000 Mustang Dr	Shenandoah	51601	Page County	Shenandoah Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 246-4727	300	24	12.3	45.0%	268 (89.3%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (6.7%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)	65.4	117^th of 340 public high schools	65.6%		77	48^th of 338 public high schools	85.8%	69				72.2	87.7	84.1				56.9	83.6	82.6		74.0	$15,504	$473	$15,031
Red Oak Junior/Senior High School	Public	7-12	2011 N 8th St	Red Oak	51566	Montgomery County	Red Oak Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 623-6610	420	30	13.7	48.8%	364 (86.7%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.9%)	43	226^th of 340 public high schools	33.5%		48	208^th of 338 public high schools	38.5%	18		55.9	71.4	64.1	74.0	71.4		67.6	81.6	56.3	77.9	68.3	65.3	58.4	$14,722	$215	$14,507
Clarinda High School	Public	7-12	100 N. Cardinal Drive	Clarinda	51632	Page County	Clarinda Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 542-5167	511	37	13.8	37.4%	461 (90.2%)	3 (0.6%)	14 (2.7%)	3 (0.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (5.3%)	63.8	130^th of 340 public high schools	61.8%		71.7	82^nd of 338 public high schools	75.7%	48		85.7	81.8	83.1	77.8	81.8		76.6	87.5	74.0	67.9	75.9	70.5	68.8	$14,767	$357	$14,410
Stanton High School	Public	6-12	605 Elliott Street	Stanton	51573	Montgomery County	Stanton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 829-2162	153	10	14.6	26.1%	143 (93.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.9%)	65.7	116^th of 340 public high schools	65.9%		51.8	184^th of 338 public high schools	45.6%	68	88.9	68.8	85.7	91.7	80.0	73.3	94.4	75.0	78.6	70.8	73.3	60.0	71.4	80.0	$13,107	$259	$12,850
East Mills Junior/Senior High School	Public	6-12	1505 E 15th Street	Malvern	51551	Mills County	East Mills Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 624-8645	234	19	12.3	36.8%	210 (89.7%)	2 (0.9%)	13 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.0%)	62.9	137^th of 340 public high schools	59.7%		60.6	144^th of 338 public high schools	57.4%	7	71.4	66.7	73.9	91.2	92.0	68.6	67.9	63.9	78.3	76.5	72.0	60.0	65.2	68.0	$17,336	$249	$17,088
Fremont-Mills Middle And Senior High School	Public	7-12	1114 US Hwy 275	Tabor	51653	Fremont County	Fremont-Mills Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 629-2325	213	13	16.7	31.5%	195 (91.5%)	2 (0.9%)	8 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	7 (3.3%)	70.8	81^st of 340 public high schools	76.2%		71.4	84^th of 338 public high schools	75.1%	3		83.3	85.3	87.5	85.3	82.4		80.0	82.4	68.8	67.6	79.4	79.4	79.4	$16,858	$164	$16,694
Sidney High School	Public	7-12	2754 Knox Road	Sidney	51652	Fremont County	Sidney Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 374-2731	196	18	10.7	48.0%	177 (90.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.1%)	52.5	189^th of 340 public high schools	44.4%		76.6	49^th of 338 public high schools	85.5%	140		62.1	83.8	69.4	79.4	87.0		69.0	81.1	61.1	67.6	69.6	67.6	73.5	$14,259	$200	$14,060

Frequently Asked Questions about Essex Junior-Senior High School

What schools feed into Essex Junior-Senior High School?

Essex Junior-Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Essex Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Essex Junior-Senior High School?

Students at Essex Junior-Senior High School are 89% White, 8% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

Is Essex Junior-Senior High School a good school?

Essex Junior-Senior High School ranks 244^th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

How many students attend Essex Junior-Senior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 87 students attended Essex Junior-Senior High School.

What district is Essex Junior-Senior High School in?

Essex Community School District

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Latest Iowa data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 ISASP test scoresAug 20, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesApr 1, 2025

2017–18 through 2023–24 attendance dataNov 15, 2024

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.