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Ottumwa High School

Public Grades 10-12

278^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 18% of Iowa high schools

Summary

Ottumwa High School is a public high school serving 1,239 students in grades 9-12 in Ottumwa, Iowa, which is part of the Ottumwa Community School District. While the school's graduation rates are generally on par with or slightly below the state average, it faces several academic challenges, including lower-than-average test scores, higher chronic absenteeism, and a relatively high proportion of students from low-income families.

Ottumwa High School's test scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science are consistently lower than the state averages, with proficiency rates ranging from 47.5% to 69.3% across different grade levels and subject areas. The school's chronic absenteeism rate has been significantly higher than the state average in recent years, ranging from 21.6% to 35.2%, which suggests a potential issue with student engagement and attendance. Additionally, Ottumwa High School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 37.13% to 44.96% in recent years.

When compared to higher-performing schools in the region, such as Davis County Community High School and Pekin Community Junior/Senior High School, the differences in test scores, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism are quite stark. This suggests that Ottumwa High School may need to implement more targeted interventions and strategies to improve student outcomes and better support the success of its students.

910

Students ?

16.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,352

Per pupil spending ?

37.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

501 E 2nd
Ottumwa, IA 52501

(641) 683-4444

District: Ottumwa Community School District

Feeder schools for Ottumwa High School:

Elementary:	Douma Elementary School
	Eisenhower Elementary School
	Horace Mann Elementary School
	James Elementary School
	More...
	Pickwick Early Childhood Center
	Wilson Elementary School
Middle:	Liberty Intermediate School
Alternative:	Evans Junior High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.5%

Hispanic:

31.5%

African American:

10.1%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Ottumwa High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 6th percentile in 2015 → 18th in 2025

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the Iowa average (88%)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 12 percentile points since 2015

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (61% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (18th percentile)

!High chronic absenteeism (35% vs 22% Iowa)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school61%

District avg58%

Iowa avg69%

278^th of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 18%▲ up 12 pts since 2015

From bottom 6% (2015) to bottom 18% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

299^th of 313Ottumwa 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	29.0	278 of 340	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.5	284 of 338	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.2	291 of 336	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	17.8	291 of 332	12.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.0	284 of 327	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.1	270 of 327	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.9	286 of 320	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	36.3	244 of 325	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	14.8	287 of 320	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	8.2	304 of 324	6.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	17.9	288 of 322	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	22.2	313 of 351	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	22.1	311 of 351	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts68%-4 vs state

Mathematics56%-11 vs state

Science56%-11 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ottumwa High 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 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 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
Ottumwa High School	Public	10-12	501 E 2nd	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 683-4444	910	55	16.5	37.4%	441 (48.5%)	92 (10.1%)	287 (31.5%)	20 (2.2%)	2 (0.2%)	55 (6.0%)	12 (1.3%)	29	278^th of 340 public high schools	18.2%		23.5	284^th of 338 public high schools	16.0%	6				68.9	66.9				52.3	60.2		55.5	$14,352	$688	$13,665
Gateway High School	Public	9-12	907 Gateway Drive	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(641) 684-6597	213	7	29.5	62.0%	114 (53.5%)	16 (7.5%)	45 (21.1%)	5 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (13.1%)	5 (2.3%)	1.3	331^st of 340 public high schools	2.6%		0.1	336^th of 338 public high schools	0.6%	5				40.9	35.5				25.0	12.5		41.7
Cardinal High School	Public	9-12	4045 Ashland Rd	Eldon	52554	Wapello County	Cardinal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 652-7531	270	21	12.7	53.3%	247 (91.5%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (5.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.2%)	44.1	221^st of 340 public high schools	35.0%		37.9	245^th of 338 public high schools	27.5%	24			77.6	81.7	69.7			50.7	68.3	45.5		75.0	$15,215	$369	$14,847
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Junior/Senior High	Public	7-12	1301 Berdan St	Eddyville	52553	Wapello County	Eddyville-Blakesburg- Fremont Central School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 969-4288	431	31	14.0	38.5%	406 (94.2%)	1 (0.2%)	15 (3.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.6%)	28.2	280^th of 340 public high schools	17.6%		36	253^rd of 338 public high schools	25.1%	27	68.7	86.4	73.2	64.9	64.9	79.5	74.1	62.0	60.8	54.4	67.9	44.6	$11,907	$211	$11,695
Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School	Public	7-12	1062 Birch Ave	Packwood	52580	Jefferson County	Pekin Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 695-3705	258	22	11.7	42.2%	244 (94.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.9%)	47.2	210^th of 340 public high schools	38.2%		46.3	214^th of 338 public high schools	36.7%	4	89.2	88.6	76.5	75.0	70.2	73.0	84.1	52.9	66.7	74.5	84.1	64.6	$14,808	$218	$14,591
Davis County Community High School	Public	9-12	503 E. Locust	Bloomfield	52537	Davis County	Davis County Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 664-2200	358	22	16.3	39.7%	334 (93.3%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	44.9	219^th of 340 public high schools	35.6%		35.8	256^th of 338 public high schools	24.3%	37			82.7	78.8	64.4			70.4	62.5	60.9		53.2	$15,057	$442	$14,614
DC Online	Public, Virtual	6-12	608 S. Washington	Bloomfield	62637	Davis County	Davis County Community School District	No	(n/a)	Yes	No	(641) 664-2200	34	0		35.3%	33 (97.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Ottumwa High School

Is Ottumwa High School a good school?

Ottumwa High School ranks in the bottom 18.2% of Iowa high schools.

What schools feed into Ottumwa High School?

Ottumwa High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Douma Elementary School
Elementary : Eisenhower Elementary School
Elementary : Horace Mann Elementary School
Elementary : James Elementary School
Elementary : Pickwick Early Childhood Center
Elementary : Wilson Elementary School
Middle : Liberty Intermediate School
Alternative : Evans Junior High School

What district is Ottumwa High School in?

Ottumwa Community School District

How many students attend Ottumwa High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 910 students attended Ottumwa High School.

What is the racial makeup of Ottumwa High School?

Students at Ottumwa High School are 48% White, 32% Hispanic, 10% African American, 6% Pacific Islander, 2% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

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Schools in Ottumwa, IA

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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.