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Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

MVAO Middle School

Q: Is MVAO Middle School a good school?

MVAO Middle School ranks 249 th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

249^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 28% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

MVAO Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in the Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Community School District in Anthon, Iowa, with a total enrollment of 107 students. The school faces several challenges, including consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, mixed academic performance on standardized tests, and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Compared to nearby schools like Woodbury Central Middle School and Pierson Middle School, MVAO Middle School has lower test scores, higher chronic absenteeism rates, and a higher proportion of economically disadvantaged students. This suggests that the school may be facing more significant challenges in serving its student population. The school's spending per student is also lower than the nearby schools, which could be a contributing factor to its performance.

Addressing the high chronic absenteeism rates and supporting the needs of the economically disadvantaged students at MVAO Middle School could be crucial in improving student outcomes. Ensuring adequate funding and resources, as well as targeted interventions and community collaboration, may be important steps in helping the school overcome these challenges and provide a better educational experience for its students.

100

Students ?

11.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,940

Per pupil spending ?

52%

Free/discounted lunch ?

110 W Division
Anthon, IA 51004-0819

(712) 373-5244

District: Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Community School District

Students who attend MVAO Middle School usually attend:

High:

Maple Valley-Anthon Oto High School

Feeder schools for MVAO Middle School:

Elementary:	Anthon Elementary
	Mapleton Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.0%

African American:

2.0%

Hispanic:

2.0%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare MVAO Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 13th percentile in 2015 → 28th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 15 percentile points since 2015

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school71%

District avg71%

Iowa avg74%

249^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Bottom 28%▲ up 15 pts since 2015

From bottom 13% (2015) to bottom 28% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

181^st of 313Maple Valley-Anthon Oto 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	40.7	249 of 344	27.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.5	312 of 342	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	32.2	264 of 343	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	22.4	305 of 349	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Science76%+6 vs state

English Language Arts73%-3 vs state

Mathematics67%-6 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★0

4★0

3★0

2★1

1★0

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What people are saying

by a student
Friday, October 5, 2018

Former student here. I did not learn much in multiple subjects. A few teachers are good but most are bad. Would not recommend Close Quote

Schools Near MVAO 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 (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 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
MVAO Middle School	Public	6-8	110 W Division	Anthon	51004	Woodbury County	Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 373-5244	100	9	11.1	52.0%	93 (93.0%)	2 (2.0%)	2 (2.0%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.0%)	40.7	249^th of 344 public middle schools	27.6%					(n/a)		74.2	53.8	85.3		67.7	57.7	73.5		76.5	$10,940	$352	$10,587
Pierson Middle School	Public	5-8	321 4th St	Pierson	51048	Woodbury County	Kingsley-Pierson Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 375-5939	126	8	16.0	38.1%	103 (81.7%)	1 (0.8%)	12 (9.5%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.4%)	6 (4.8%)	68.2	96^th of 344 public middle schools	72.1%					(n/a)	88.9	77.8	81.1	90.3	77.8	70.4	81.1	87.1	81.5	80.6	$12,591	$155	$12,434
Woodbury Central Middle School	Public	6-8	408 S 4th St	Moville	51039	Woodbury County	Woodbury Central Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 873-3128	111	7	14.8	30.6%	98 (88.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.7%)	54.7	174^th of 344 public middle schools	49.4%		72.2	74^th of 337 public middle schools	78.0%	100		82.5	90.9	76.3		75.0	84.8	63.2		68.4	$13,580	$355	$13,225

Frequently Asked Questions about MVAO Middle School

How many students attend MVAO Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 100 students attended MVAO Middle School.

What district is MVAO Middle School in?

Maple Valley-Anthon Oto Community School District

What is the racial makeup of MVAO Middle School?

Students at MVAO Middle School are 93% White, 2% African American, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

Is MVAO Middle School a good school?

MVAO Middle School ranks 249^th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What high school do graduates of MVAO Middle School attend?

Students who attend MVAO Middle School usually go on to attend Maple Valley-Anthon Oto High School

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IAIowa Middle School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Anthon, 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.