Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Northwood-Kensett Elementary

Q: Is Northwood-Kensett Elementary a good school?

Northwood-Kensett Elementary ranks 332 nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

332^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 42% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Northwood-Kensett Elementary is a public elementary school serving 294 students in grades PK-5 in Northwood, Iowa, which is part of the Northwood-Kensett Community School District. The school has shown mixed academic performance, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics generally on par with or slightly below the state averages. Compared to nearby schools, Northwood-Kensett Elementary performs better than the lower-ranked Hoover Elementary and Harding Elementary in Mason City, but lags behind the higher-performing St. Ansgar Elementary and Lake Mills Elementary.

A concerning trend at Northwood-Kensett Elementary is the significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 15% in 2021-2022 to 21.6% in 2023-2024, which is higher than the state average and the nearby schools. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 32.58% to 35.2% over the past few years, suggesting that the school serves a population with greater economic challenges compared to some of the higher-performing nearby schools.

The lower spending per student at Northwood-Kensett Elementary ($10,614 in 2018-2019) compared to the nearby Mason City schools ($16,224 for Harding, $17,471 for Hoover) may indicate that the school has fewer resources available for educational programs and support services, which could be a contributing factor to the school's academic performance.

287

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,614

Per pupil spending ?

30%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1200 1st Ave North
Northwood, IA 50459-0289

(641) 324-1127

District: Northwood-Kensett Community School District

Students who attend Northwood-Kensett Elementary usually attend:

High:

Northwood-Kensett MIddle/High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

91.3%

Hispanic:

5.6%

Two or more races:

2.4%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Northwood-Kensett Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 60th percentile in 2015 → 42nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 18 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school71%

District avg71%

Iowa avg71%

332^nd of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 42%▼ down 18 pts since 2015

From top 40% (2015) to bottom 42% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

193^rd of 313Northwood-Kensett 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	50.0	332 of 576	42.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.6	359 of 557	35.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.0	276 of 565	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.0	237 of 574	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.7	270 of 567	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.3	331 of 603	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	56.5	290 of 567	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2017	55.7	308 of 574	46.3%	★★☆☆☆
2016	61.7	266 of 599	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	64.1	244 of 616	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2014	60.6	270 of 603	55.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.9	377 of 624	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2012	59.9	277 of 626	55.8%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics79%+5 vs state

Science66%~ state avg

English Language Arts64%-7 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Northwood-Kensett Elementary and help other families decide.

Rate Northwood-Kensett Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Northwood-Kensett Elementary

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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwood-Kensett Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1200 1st Ave North	Northwood	50459	Worth County	Northwood-Kensett Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 324-1127	287	19	15.0	30.0%	262 (91.3%)	2 (0.7%)	16 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	50	332^nd of 576 public elementary schools	42.4%		45.6	359^th of 557 public elementary schools	35.5%	27	63.6	61.0	68.6	81.8	82.9	71.4	65.7	$10,614	$468	$10,147
Central Springs Elementary Manly Campus	Public	PK, KG-3	105 S East St	Manly	50456	Worth County	Central Springs Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 454-3283	143	12	12.1	43.4%	134 (93.7%)	4 (2.8%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)								(n/a)	64.7			88.2				$15,896	$878	$15,018
St Ansgar Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	206 E. 8th Street	Saint Ansgar	50472	Mitchell County	St Ansgar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 713-2331	345	18	19.0	24.3%	322 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	87.1	24^th of 576 public elementary schools	95.8%		89.4	15^th of 557 public elementary schools	97.3%	9	88.9	92.7	86.9	100.0	95.1	82.0	78.7	$11,154	$368	$10,787
Lake Mills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	102 S 4th Ave E	Lake Mills	50450	Winnebago County	Lake Mills Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 592-1882	303	21	14.5	31.0%	251 (82.8%)	3 (1.0%)	40 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.6%)	86.9	27^th of 576 public elementary schools	95.3%		84	44^th of 557 public elementary schools	92.1%	17	95.7	85.4	88.6	89.4	82.9	93.2	88.6	$12,400	$789	$11,612
Harding Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1239 N. Rhode Island Ave	Mason City	50401	Cerro Gordo County	Mason City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 421-4406	387	27	14.5	45.2%	276 (71.3%)	22 (5.7%)	49 (12.7%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	20 (5.2%)	17 (4.4%)	47.2	352^nd of 576 public elementary schools	38.9%		28.8	445^th of 557 public elementary schools	20.1%	93	70.5	73.3		77.3	66.7			$16,224	$857	$15,366
Hoover Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1123 8th St. NW	Mason City	50401	Cerro Gordo County	Mason City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 421-4408	361	27	13.3	55.4%	219 (60.7%)	25 (6.9%)	47 (13.0%)	4 (1.1%)	5 (1.4%)	31 (8.6%)	30 (8.3%)	23.2	483^rd of 576 public elementary schools	16.1%		49	340^th of 557 public elementary schools	39.0%	143	47.8	68.5		60.9	66.7			$17,471	$971	$16,499

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwood-Kensett Elementary

Is Northwood-Kensett Elementary a good school?

Northwood-Kensett Elementary ranks 332^nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Northwood-Kensett Elementary in?

Northwood-Kensett Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Northwood-Kensett Elementary?

Students at Northwood-Kensett Elementary are 91% White, 6% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Northwood-Kensett Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 287 students attended Northwood-Kensett Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Northwood-Kensett Elementary attend?

Students who attend Northwood-Kensett Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Northwood-Kensett MIddle/High School

Rate Northwood-Kensett Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IAIowa Elementary School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Northwood, IA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Northwood-Kensett Elementary!

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.