Best Public Schools in Zip Code 50278

Summary:

The 50278 zip code has only one school, Colo-Nesco Elementary School, which serves grades PK-4 and is part of the Colo-NESCO Community School District. While the school's academic performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics is generally below the state averages, it has a relatively high rate of free and reduced-price lunch recipients and a chronic absenteeism rate of 21.6%. The school's per-student spending is $14,066, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 12.1.

Colo-Nesco Elementary School's academic performance has fluctuated over the past few years, with its statewide ranking ranging from 238 out of 565 elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 424 out of 576 in 2024-2025. In the 2024-2025 school year, the school's 3rd-grade students scored 54.2% proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 67.9%, while the 4th-grade students scored 68% proficient or better, compared to the state average of 76%. In mathematics, the school's 3rd-grade students scored 75% proficient or better, slightly below the state average of 75.8%, and the 4th-grade students scored 72%, compared to the state average of 74.3%.

The Colo-NESCO Community School District, which Colo-Nesco Elementary School is a part of, is ranked 252 out of 313 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating out of 5 from SchoolDigger. This suggests that the challenges faced by Colo-Nesco Elementary School may be reflective of broader issues within the district, and further investigation into the district's overall performance and strategies could help identify opportunities for improvement.

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)		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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Colo-Nesco Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	407 N Center	Zearing	50278	Story County	Colo-NESCO Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 487-7411	169	15	11.5	50.9%	144 (85.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (7.7%)	36.2	424^th of 576 public elementary schools	26.4%		55.8	292^nd of 557 public elementary schools	47.6%	132	54.2	68.0	75.0	72.0	$14,066	$671	$13,396

Cities Near Zip Code 50278

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Zearing	0.58 mi	1	357^th
Mc Callsburg	4.28 mi	1
Roland	9.87 mi	1	15^th
Hubbard	9.88 mi	1	375^th
Colo	10.44 mi	1	312^th

See the top IA Iowa cities

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.