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Shellsburg Elementary School

Q: Is Shellsburg Elementary School a good school?

Shellsburg Elementary School ranks 288 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

288^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Shellsburg Elementary School is a public elementary school serving around 250 students in grades PK-5 in the Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District in Shellsburg, Iowa. The school has a strong track record of performance, consistently ranking in the top 20% of Iowa elementary schools and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Shellsburg Elementary consistently outperforms the state and district averages on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in 2024-2025, 88.9% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in Math, compared to 75.8% statewide. The school also has lower chronic absenteeism rates compared to the state and district averages, ranging from 21.6% to 26.1% in recent years. Additionally, Shellsburg Elementary has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.4 to 12.1 in recent years, which is lower than the nearby Tilford Elementary (13.8) and some Cedar Rapids schools (e.g., West Willow Elementary at 16.9).

When compared to the nearby schools in the Cedar Rapids district, Shellsburg Elementary outperforms them on key metrics such as test scores and chronic absenteeism. For example, in 2024-2025, Shellsburg's 3rd grade Math proficiency rate was 88.9% compared to 73.5% at Hiawatha Elementary and 80.3% at Maple Grove Elementary. The school's strong performance is likely due to a combination of factors, including the overall performance of the Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District, which is ranked 99 out of 313 districts in Iowa and rated 3 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

269

Students ?

13.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,392

Per pupil spending ?

53.9%

Free/discounted lunch ?

203 Tomahawk Trail
Shellsburg, IA 52332

(319) 436-4728

District: Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District

Students who attend Shellsburg Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School
High:	Vinton-Shellsburg High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

92.6%

Hispanic:

2.6%

Two or more races:

2.6%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Shellsburg Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 79th percentile in 2015 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Iowa median (50th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 29 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school71%

District avg76%

Iowa avg71%

288^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 29 pts since 2015

From top 21% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 2Elementary Schools in the Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District

99^th of 313Vinton-Shellsburg 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	55.6	288 of 576	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.1	117 of 557	79.0%	★★★★☆
2023	59.4	252 of 565	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	83.0	65 of 574	88.7%	★★★★☆
2021	78.5	97 of 567	82.9%	★★★★☆
2019	79.6	99 of 603	83.6%	★★★★☆
2018	75.1	120 of 567	78.8%	★★★★☆
2017	74.7	121 of 574	78.9%	★★★★☆
2016	78.6	81 of 599	86.5%	★★★★☆
2015	75.0	130 of 616	78.9%	★★★★☆
2014	77.8	81 of 603	86.6%	★★★★☆
2013	51.9	360 of 624	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	57.4	308 of 626	50.8%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics78%+4 vs state

English Language Arts69%-3 vs state

Science65%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Shellsburg Elementary 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 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
Shellsburg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	203 Tomahawk Trail	Shellsburg	52332	Benton County	Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 436-4728	269	20	13.4	53.9%	249 (92.6%)	5 (1.9%)	7 (2.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.6%)	55.6	288^th of 576 public elementary schools	50.0%		74.1	117^th of 557 public elementary schools	79.0%	171	77.8	85.7	64.4	88.9	85.7	74.6	65.3	$15,392	$1,178	$14,214
Atkins Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	217 4th Ave	Atkins	52206	Benton County	Benton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 446-7525	394	26	15.3	19.3%	358 (90.9%)	3 (0.8%)	12 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	18 (4.6%)								(n/a)	83.6			87.7				$11,898	$493	$11,405
Center Point-Urbana Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	101 Palo Road	Center Point	52213	Linn County	Center Point-Urbana Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 849-1102	365	27	13.7	19.2%	336 (92.1%)	2 (0.5%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (5.2%)								(n/a)								$13,169	$391	$12,778
Tilford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	308 E 13th St	Vinton	52349	Benton County	Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 436-4728	544	40	13.5	53.5%	499 (91.7%)	9 (1.7%)	18 (3.3%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (2.2%)	69.4	178^th of 576 public elementary schools	69.1%		56.2	287^th of 557 public elementary schools	48.5%	109	79.0	81.7		80.0	81.7			$11,456	$576	$10,881
Center Point-Urbana Intermediate School	Public	3-5	202 W Main Street	Urbana	52345	Benton County	Center Point-Urbana Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 849-1102	275	18	14.8	21.1%	240 (87.3%)	3 (1.1%)	15 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.2%)	70.2	170^th of 576 public elementary schools	70.5%					(n/a)	79.8	76.9	82.3	81.8	76.9	86.5	68.8	$11,000	$212	$10,787
Viola Gibson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6101 Gibson DR NE	Cedar Rapids	52411	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2920	565	33	17.2	16.5%	480 (85.0%)	9 (1.6%)	28 (5.0%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.9%)	84.9	38^th of 576 public elementary schools	93.4%		73.2	123^rd of 557 public elementary schools	77.9%	85	82.4	90.9	85.1	89.4	90.9	87.8	78.4	$13,762	$268	$13,495
Hiawatha Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	603 Emmons ST	Hiawatha	52233	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 558-2172	334	28	11.9	53.0%	199 (59.6%)	35 (10.5%)	51 (15.3%)	19 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (9.0%)	46.1	360^th of 576 public elementary schools	37.5%		48.3	346^th of 557 public elementary schools	37.9%	14	65.3	68.3	71.7	73.5	61.0	81.1	60.4	$15,749	$577	$15,172
West Willow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6225 1st AVE SW	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-3130	555	34	16.3	49.9%	304 (54.8%)	146 (26.3%)	45 (8.1%)	3 (0.5%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (0.9%)	50 (9.0%)	36.3	423^rd of 576 public elementary schools	26.6%		39	391^st of 557 public elementary schools	29.8%	32	71.1	67.5	60.3	80.3	63.6	60.3	52.7	$14,545	$265	$14,280
Maple Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1300 38th ST NW	Cedar Rapids	52405	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 558-2471	539	35	15.3	41.2%	366 (67.9%)	69 (12.8%)	36 (6.7%)	9 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	56 (10.4%)	66.2	206^th of 576 public elementary schools	64.2%		71.4	148^th of 557 public elementary schools	73.4%	58	80.7	80.0	71.4	84.3	78.8	74.0	71.4	$14,520	$250	$14,269
Nixon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	200 Nixon DR	Hiawatha	52233	Linn County	Cedar Rapids Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 558-2188	289	25	11.5	67.5%	139 (48.1%)	54 (18.7%)	34 (11.8%)	31 (10.7%)	2 (0.7%)	4 (1.4%)	25 (8.7%)	32.3	450^th of 576 public elementary schools	21.9%		32.4	435^th of 557 public elementary schools	21.9%	15	60.0	73.2	53.5	72.5	68.3	67.4	48.8	$15,864	$627	$15,237

Frequently Asked Questions about Shellsburg Elementary School

How many students attend Shellsburg Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 269 students attended Shellsburg Elementary School.

What district is Shellsburg Elementary School in?

Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Shellsburg Elementary School?

Students at Shellsburg Elementary School are 93% White, 3% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Shellsburg Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Shellsburg Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School
High : Vinton-Shellsburg High School

Is Shellsburg Elementary School a good school?

Shellsburg Elementary School ranks 288^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Shellsburg Elementary School!

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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.