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Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School

Q: Is Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School a good school?

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School ranks 172 nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-4

172^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 70% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-4 in Hartley, Iowa, with 274 students. The school is part of the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District, which is ranked 138 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary consistently outperforms the state average in both English Language Arts and Mathematics for 3rd and 4th grade students. In 2024-2025, the school had 72.1% of 3rd graders and 90.2% of 4th graders proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 67.9% and 76% respectively. In Mathematics, 79.1% of 3rd graders and 82.9% of 4th graders were proficient or better, compared to 75.8% and 74.3% statewide. However, the school has seen a concerning increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 16.5% in 2021-2022 to 21.6% in 2023-2024, which is higher than the state average.

While Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary outperforms nearby schools in test scores, particularly in Mathematics, the school's statewide ranking has declined from 168 out of 567 Iowa elementary schools in 2020-2021 to 172 out of 576 in 2024-2025. Additionally, the school spends significantly more per student, at $32,082 in 2018-2019, compared to nearby schools ranging from $11,587 to $14,305 per student, yet maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 11.8 to 12.1. These factors suggest a need to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the school's resource allocation.

261

Students ?

11.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$32,082

Per pupil spending ?

50.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

400 3rd St NW
Hartley, IA 51346

(712) 928-2020

District: Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District

Students who attend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School
High:	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.2%

Hispanic:

15.3%

African American:

1.9%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 61st percentile in 2015 → 70th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (81% vs 73% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 9 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the Iowa median (70th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school81%

District avg81%

Iowa avg73%

172^nd of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 30%▲ up 9 pts since 2015

From top 39% (2015) to top 30% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

138^th of 313Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 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	70.1	172 of 576	70.1%	★★★★☆
2024	78.1	82 of 557	85.3%	★★★★☆
2023	56.5	272 of 565	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	67.5	194 of 574	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	68.9	168 of 567	70.4%	★★★★☆
2019	39.6	407 of 603	32.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.3	389 of 567	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	57.3	292 of 574	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2016	56.4	317 of 599	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2015	64.4	241 of 616	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.3	278 of 603	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2013	50.6	370 of 624	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	53.6	351 of 626	43.9%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics81%+6 vs state

English Language Arts81%+9 vs state

★

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Schools Near Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 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
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	400 3rd St NW	Hartley	51346	O'Brien County	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 928-2020	261	22	11.9	50.2%	212 (81.2%)	5 (1.9%)	40 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	70.1	172^nd of 576 public elementary schools	70.1%		78.1	82^nd of 557 public elementary schools	85.3%	90	72.1	90.2			79.1	82.9				$32,082	$769	$31,314
South O'Brien Elementary School - Primghar Center	Public	PK, KG-6	155 3rd St NE	Primghar	51245	O'Brien County	South O'Brien Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 957-3755	328	22	15.1	38.1%	293 (89.3%)	2 (0.6%)	18 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	12 (3.7%)	52.3	313^th of 576 public elementary schools	45.7%		57.1	281^st of 557 public elementary schools	49.6%	32	77.4	64.7	67.4	90.0	90.3	50.0	60.5	90.0	67.4	$13,661	$610	$13,051
Clay Central-Everly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	401 Church St	Royal	51357	Clay County	Clay Central-Everly Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 933-2241	53	8	6.7	64.2%	47 (88.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.8%)								(n/a)										$19,042	$975	$18,066
Johnson Elementary	Public	PK-K	724 West 9th Street	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 262-2710	201	18	11.0	53.2%	163 (81.1%)	3 (1.5%)	20 (10.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.5%)								(n/a)										$13,320	$574	$12,747
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	3-5	615 4th Ave. SW	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 262-3752	442	28	15.6	53.6%	349 (79.0%)	14 (3.2%)	46 (10.4%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.0%)	52.4	312^th of 576 public elementary schools	45.8%		50.4	324^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.8%	12	69.8	79.1	69.7		74.4	73.9	68.3		66.2	$12,820	$475	$12,345
Fairview Park Elementary	Public	1-2	1508 5th Ave. East	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 262-4842	249	21	12.0	59.8%	196 (78.7%)	7 (2.8%)	30 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.0%)								(n/a)										$14,305	$896	$13,408
East Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	501 Normal College Ave	Sheldon	51201	O'Brien County	Sheldon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 324-4337	468	34	13.8	42.3%	307 (65.6%)	4 (0.9%)	132 (28.2%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (1.1%)	16 (3.4%)	93.2	5^th of 576 public elementary schools	99.1%		91	10^th of 557 public elementary schools	98.2%	5	92.0	98.9			93.2	96.8				$12,647	$270	$12,377
Okoboji Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	705 N Ave	Milford	51351	Dickinson County	Okoboji Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 338-2458	491	39	12.5	31.8%	424 (86.4%)	8 (1.6%)	40 (8.1%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	79.6	77^th of 576 public elementary schools	86.6%		70.2	159^th of 557 public elementary schools	71.5%	82	78.8	84.8			88.2	89.1				$13,036	$648	$12,387
Sibley Ocheyedan Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	416 9th Ave	Sibley	51249	Osceola County	Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 754-3636	308	24	12.8	56.2%	195 (63.3%)	3 (1.0%)	76 (24.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (9.7%)	2 (0.6%)	68.2	191^st of 576 public elementary schools	66.8%		61.6	231^st of 557 public elementary schools	58.5%	40	66.7	83.0			84.4	84.9				$11,587	$845	$10,742

Frequently Asked Questions about Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School

How many students attend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 261 students attended Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School.

Is Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School a good school?

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School ranks 172^nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School
High : Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School

What district is Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School in?

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School?

Students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School are 81% White, 15% Hispanic, 2% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Rate Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary 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.