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Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-6

533^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 7% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Ruthven, Iowa, with 88 students. The school is part of the Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District, which is ranked 210 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary spends $16,696 per student, which is higher than the state average, the school faces several challenges. It has consistently low test scores on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress), with only 53.3% of 5th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 69.8%. The school also has high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 21.6% to 35.1%, which is significantly higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 52.27% to 63.83% in recent years, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

When compared to nearby schools, Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary struggles to keep up. For example, Okoboji Elementary, located about 18 miles away, consistently outperforms Ruthven-Ayrshire on test scores, with over 80% of students proficient in English Language Arts and Mathematics, compared to Ruthven-Ayrshire's 40-60% proficiency rates. The school's statewide ranking has also steadily declined over the past decade, from a high of 280 out of 599 Iowa elementary schools in 2015-2016 to a low of 533 out of 576 in 2024-2025, suggesting the school is facing increasing challenges in providing a quality education to its students.

Students ?

9.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$16,696

Per pupil spending ?

49.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1505 Washington St
Ruthven, IA 51358

(712) 837-5211

District: Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District

Students who attend Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Ruthven-Ayrshire High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

84.3%

Hispanic:

9.0%

Two or more races:

4.5%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 33rd percentile in 2015 → 7th in 2025

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 10 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (47% vs 69% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (7th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 26 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school47%

District avg47%

Iowa avg69%

533^rd of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 7%▼ down 26 pts since 2015

From bottom 33% (2015) to bottom 7% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

210^th of 313Ruthven-Ayrshire 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	9.1	533 of 576	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.6	495 of 557	11.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	28.1	449 of 565	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.1	511 of 574	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	11.8	521 of 567	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	9.1	573 of 603	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	55.1	305 of 567	46.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	57.5	290 of 574	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2016	60.2	280 of 599	53.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	46.7	411 of 616	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2014	52.4	351 of 603	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	48.1	405 of 624	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	49.8	392 of 626	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts53%-17 vs state

Mathematics47%-25 vs state

Science40%-24 vs state

★

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Schools Near Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary 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 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1505 Washington St	Ruthven	51358	Palo Alto County	Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 837-5211	89	9	9.8	49.4%	75 (84.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (9.0%)	2 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.5%)	9.1	533^rd of 576 public elementary schools	7.5%		13.6	495^th of 557 public elementary schools	11.1%	38			53.3				46.7		40.0	$16,696	$876	$15,821
West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	602 Call St	Emmetsburg	50536	Palo Alto County	Emmetsburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 852-4485	293	7	39.5	43.3%	261 (89.1%)	4 (1.4%)	19 (6.5%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.0%)	65.9	211^th of 576 public elementary schools	63.4%		66.1	190^th of 557 public elementary schools	65.9%	21	84.8	77.6			84.8	74.6				$12,570	$823	$11,748
Fairview Park Elementary	Public	1-2	1508 5th Ave. East	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 262-4842	249	21	12.0	59.8%	196 (78.7%)	7 (2.8%)	30 (12.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.0%)								(n/a)										$14,305	$896	$13,408
Graettinger-Terril Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 S. Schooley St.	Terril	51364	Dickinson County	Graettinger-Terril Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 853-6111	149	16	9.3	53.7%	138 (92.6%)	1 (0.7%)	9 (6.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	51.2	322^nd of 576 public elementary schools	44.1%					(n/a)	81.8	80.0	62.5		86.4	56.7	68.8		62.5	$16,449	$451	$15,999
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	3-5	615 4th Ave. SW	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 262-3752	442	28	15.6	53.6%	349 (79.0%)	14 (3.2%)	46 (10.4%)	11 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.0%)	52.4	312^th of 576 public elementary schools	45.8%		50.4	324^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.8%	12	69.8	79.1	69.7		74.4	73.9	68.3		66.2	$12,820	$475	$12,345
Johnson Elementary	Public	PK-K	724 West 9th Street	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 262-2710	201	18	11.0	53.2%	163 (81.1%)	3 (1.5%)	20 (10.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (6.5%)								(n/a)										$13,320	$574	$12,747
Okoboji Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	705 N Ave	Milford	51351	Dickinson County	Okoboji Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 338-2458	491	39	12.5	31.8%	424 (86.4%)	8 (1.6%)	40 (8.1%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.1%)	79.6	77^th of 576 public elementary schools	86.6%		70.2	159^th of 557 public elementary schools	71.5%	82	78.8	84.8			88.2	89.1				$13,036	$648	$12,387
Demoney Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	109 S 17th Street	Estherville	51334	Emmet County	Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 362-2181	460	40	11.4	55.2%	282 (61.3%)	6 (1.3%)	159 (34.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.8%)	12.5	516^th of 576 public elementary schools	10.4%		36.9	402^nd of 557 public elementary schools	27.8%	114	45.1	51.4			59.8	63.4				$13,659	$648	$13,013
Laurens-Marathon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	300 W Garfield	Laurens	50554	Pocahontas County	Laurens-Marathon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 841-5000	147	14	10.5	40.8%	97 (66.0%)	3 (2.0%)	31 (21.1%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (7.5%)	4 (2.7%)	1.9	571^st of 576 public elementary schools	0.9%		10.7	509^th of 557 public elementary schools	8.6%	62	33.3	50.0		52.9	40.0	37.5		35.3		$20,283	$1,719	$18,563
Clay Central-Everly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	401 Church St	Royal	51357	Clay County	Clay Central-Everly Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 933-2241	53	8	6.7	64.2%	47 (88.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.8%)								(n/a)										$19,042	$975	$18,066

Frequently Asked Questions about Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School?

Students at Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School are 84% White, 9% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School a good school?

Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School ranks in the bottom 7.5% of Iowa elementary schools.

What district is Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School in?

Ruthven-Ayrshire Community School District

What schools do graduates of Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Ruthven-Ayrshire High School

How many students attend Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 89 students attended Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School.

Rate Ruthven-Ayrshire Elementary School!

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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.