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Johnston Middle School

Q: Is Johnston Middle School a good school?

Johnston Middle School ranks 116 th of 344 Iowa alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Alternative Grades 8-9

116^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Alternative Schools

Better than 66% of Iowa alternative schools

Summary

Johnston Middle School is an alternative public school serving around 1,200 students in grades 8-9 within the Johnston Community School District in Johnston, Iowa. The school consistently outperforms the state average on academic assessments and is part of a district ranked 83 out of 313 districts in the state with a 4-star rating.

Johnston Middle School's academic performance is a standout, with 87.8% of 8th and 9th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 80.2% and 76.4%. In Mathematics, 81.3% of 8th graders and 81.4% of 9th graders were proficient or better, exceeding the state averages of 74.4% and 65.6%. However, the school's chronic absenteeism rate, while improving, remains an area of focus at 18.8% in 2023-2024. Additionally, the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch has increased from 21.43% in 2021-2022 to 26.25% in 2023-2024, indicating a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

Compared to nearby middle schools in the Waukee, West Des Moines, and Ankeny school districts, Johnston Middle School generally performs better on academic assessments, especially in English Language Arts and Mathematics. However, the school's spending per student of $11,024 in 2018-2019 is lower than some nearby schools, and its student-teacher ratio of 17.9 in 2023-2024 is higher than the nearby schools, which range from 14.7 to 16.9 students per teacher.

1,161

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,024

Per pupil spending ?

27%

Free/discounted lunch ?

6501 NW 62nd Ave
Johnston, IA 50131

(515) 278-0476

District: Johnston Community School District

Racial breakdown:

White:

63.7%

African American:

11.9%

Asian:

9.9%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Johnston Middle School to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 64th percentile in 2022 → 66th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Iowa average (83% vs 73% meeting standards)

✓Above the Iowa median (66th percentile)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school83%

District avg83%

Iowa avg73%

116^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 34%▲ up 2 pts since 2022

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

83^rd of 313Johnston 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	65.3	116 of 344	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.0	103 of 337	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.3	97 of 334	71.0%	★★★★☆
2022	63.4	120 of 337	64.4%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts88%+10 vs state

Mathematics81%+11 vs state

Science75%+4 vs state

1.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Sunday, April 15, 2018

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Schools Near Johnston Middle 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 ()				Ranking ()				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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	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 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
Johnston Middle School	Public, Alternative	8-9	6501 NW 62nd Ave	Johnston	50131	Polk County	Johnston Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 278-0476	1,161	71	16.2	27.0%	739 (63.7%)	138 (11.9%)	104 (9.0%)	115 (9.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (4.7%)								(n/a)	87.8	87.8			81.3	81.4			74.8		$11,024	$470	$10,555
Southview Middle School	Public, Alternative	8-9	1020 SW Cherry St	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9635	913	63	14.4	27.5%	657 (72.0%)	54 (5.9%)	92 (10.1%)	49 (5.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	59 (6.5%)								(n/a)	88.0	86.7			83.8	76.7			80.2		$12,827	$357	$12,470
Ruby Van Meter	Public, Alternative	K-12	710 28th St	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8220	109	22	5.0	71.6%	49 (45.0%)	19 (17.4%)	32 (29.4%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	1 (0.9%)	6 (5.5%)								(n/a)			0.0	9.1			0.0	0.0		0.0	$63,840	$14,304	$49,537
Northview Middle School	Public, Alternative	8-9	1302 N Ankeny Blvd	Ankeny	50023	Polk County	Ankeny Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 965-9700	1,021	66	15.3	17.1%	807 (79.0%)	52 (5.1%)	78 (7.6%)	30 (2.9%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	49 (4.8%)								(n/a)	93.5	92.2			83.8	82.1			78.7		$13,230	$291	$12,939
Valley Southwoods	Public, Alternative	9	625 S 35th St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4500	678	49	13.9	49.0%	391 (57.7%)	79 (11.7%)	119 (17.6%)	43 (6.3%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.3%)								(n/a)		80.1				71.3					$14,577	$194	$14,383
Prairieview School	Public, Alternative	9	655 SE University Ave	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-2770	539	36	15.0	14.3%	389 (72.2%)	33 (6.1%)	55 (10.2%)	35 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.8%)								(n/a)		84.2				76.0					$12,062	$173	$11,889
Timberline School	Public, Alternative	8-9	2605 SE LA Grant Parkway	Waukee	50263	Dallas County	Waukee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 987-9444	992	62	16.0	26.4%	584 (58.9%)	117 (11.8%)	99 (10.0%)	108 (10.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	82 (8.3%)								(n/a)	88.2	75.2			78.9	69.4			72.8		$11,911	$176	$11,734
Southeast Polk Junior High	Public, Alternative	8-9	8325 NE University Ave.	Pleasant Hill	50327	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-5509	0	71	.0		0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)	76.8	76.2			71.8	69.9			75.1		$13,053	$388	$12,665

Frequently Asked Questions about Johnston Middle School

How many students attend Johnston Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,161 students attended Johnston Middle School.

What district is Johnston Middle School in?

Johnston Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Johnston Middle School?

Students at Johnston Middle School are 64% White, 12% African American, 10% Asian, 9% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

Is Johnston Middle School a good school?

Johnston Middle School ranks 116^th of 344 Iowa alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Johnston Middle School!

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IAIowa Alternative School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Johnston, IA

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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.