Wapello Senior High School

Wapello Senior High School is a public high school in Wapello, Iowa, serving 179 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Wapello Community School District, which is ranked 266 out of 313 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Academically, Wapello Senior High School consistently performs below the state average in proficiency rates for the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 10th grade proficiency rates were 66.7% in ELA, 57.1% in Math, and 50% in Science, compared to the state averages of 74.7%, 68%, and 66.8% respectively. The school's performance has been declining over the years, with its statewide ranking dropping from 213 out of 320 in 2015-2016 to 247 out of 340 in 2024-2025. Additionally, the school's four-year graduation rate has ranged from 77.5% to 89.4%, which is below the state average, and it has a high chronic absenteeism rate, ranging from 18.8% to 31.3%, significantly higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Muscatine High School, Winfield-Mt Union Junior-Senior High School, Mediapolis High School, and Columbus Community High School, Wapello Senior High School performs significantly worse in terms of academic proficiency, graduation rates, and chronic absenteeism. For example, Mediapolis High School, which is ranked 48 out of 340 Iowa high schools, has significantly higher proficiency rates in ELA, Math, and Science compared to Wapello Senior High School. Despite the higher spending per student and relatively low student-teacher ratio at Wapello Senior High School, the school has not been able to translate these resources into improved academic outcomes.