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Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School

Q: Is Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School a good school?

Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School ranks 210 th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 7-12

210^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 340 Iowa High Schools

Better than 38% of Iowa high schools

Summary

Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School is a public high school located in Packwood, Iowa, serving grades 7-12 with a total enrollment of 287 students. The school is part of the Pekin Community School District, which is ranked 170 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School has had consistently high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 87.5% to 97.8% over the past few years, outperforming the state average. However, the school has experienced relatively high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.3% to 29.6% in recent years, which is an area of concern. The school's performance on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) tests has been mixed, with the 7th and 8th-grade English Language Arts and Mathematics scores generally higher than the state, but the 9th and 10th-grade scores more variable. Additionally, the school has seen a significant increase in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 29.11% in 2022-2023 to 42.51% in 2023-2024, suggesting a growing population of economically disadvantaged students.

When comparing Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School to nearby schools, some interesting patterns emerge. Keota High School, located about 18 miles from Pekin, has generally outperformed Pekin on ISASP test scores, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics, and has a lower chronic absenteeism rate and a higher four-year graduation rate. In contrast, Ottumwa High School and Gateway High School, part of the Ottumwa Community School District, have significantly lower test scores and higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to Pekin. Pekin's performance has also declined in its statewide ranking, dropping from 97th out of 327 Iowa high schools in 2020-2021 to 210th out of 340 in 2024-2025.

258

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,808

Per pupil spending ?

42.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1062 Birch Ave
Packwood, IA 52580-8542

(319) 695-3705

District: Pekin Community School District

Feeder schools for Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School:

Elementary:

Pekin Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

94.6%

Hispanic:

2.3%

Two or more races:

1.9%

See top rated Iowa high schools

Compare Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 70th percentile in 2021 → 38th in 2025

Strengths

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the Iowa average (88%)

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!High chronic absenteeism (30% vs 22% Iowa)

!Ranking has slipped from its 70th-percentile peak (2021) to 38th (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school75%

District avg75%

Iowa avg71%

Middle school

65^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 19%▲ up 63 pts since 2021

From bottom 18% (2021) to top 19% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

210^th of 340

Iowa public high schools ?

Bottom 38%▲ up 11 pts since 2015

From bottom 27% (2015) to bottom 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

170^th of 313Pekin 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)

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	73.1	65 of 344	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	50.0	196 of 337	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	69.0	91 of 334	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	39.1	232 of 337	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.1	265 of 324	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	47.2	210 of 340	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.3	214 of 338	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.3	205 of 336	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.0	177 of 332	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	67.1	97 of 327	70.3%	★★★★☆
2019	27.6	263 of 327	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	48.3	188 of 320	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.5	236 of 324	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	43.0	221 of 322	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2013	38.2	273 of 351	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	28.0	297 of 351	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts80%+4 vs state

Science74%+5 vs state

Mathematics71%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Pekin Community Junior/ Senior 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
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
Sigourney Junior-Senior High School	Public	7-12	907 E Pleasant Valley	Sigourney	52591	Keokuk County	Sigourney Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 622-2010	287	20	14.2	36.9%	265 (92.3%)	3 (1.0%)	11 (3.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.1%)	75.5	54^th of 340 public high schools	84.1%		78.7	37^th of 338 public high schools	89.1%	17	86.0	90.2	80.4	95.3	79.5	76.0	80.5	75.0	83.7	72.7	53.7	86.0	$14,848	$327	$14,520
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
Fairfield High School	Public	9-12	605 E Broadway	Fairfield	52556	Jefferson County	Fairfield Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 472-2059	442	30	14.8	36.9%	361 (81.7%)	11 (2.5%)	32 (7.2%)	13 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (5.2%)	68.2	101^st of 340 public high schools	70.3%		44	227^th of 338 public high schools	32.8%	126			91.8	87.6	69.5			82.7	74.5	63.2		71.1	$14,744	$133	$14,611
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
Keota High School	Public	7-12	507 N Ellis St	Keota	52248	Keokuk County	Keota Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 636-3491	114	12	9.5	42.1%	106 (93.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	61.4	149^th of 340 public high schools	56.2%		67.3	102^nd of 338 public high schools	69.8%	47	54.5	90.0	76.2	88.9	93.8	54.5	75.0	52.4	66.7	81.3	75.0	77.8	$15,277	$726	$14,550

Frequently Asked Questions about Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School

Is Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School a good school?

Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School ranks 210^th of 340 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School in?

Pekin Community School District

How many students attend Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 258 students attended Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School.

What schools feed into Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School?

Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Pekin Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School?

Students at Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School are 95% White, 2% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

Rate Pekin Community Junior/ Senior High School!

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Schools in Packwood, 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.