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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 51346

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the Iowa Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

School

261

Students

Top rankedHartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School172^nd of 576 Iowa elementary schools

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Summary:

The 51346 zip code is home to a single standout elementary school, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School, which serves students from the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District. This school has consistently high academic performance, with impressive proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics that exceed state averages.

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School stands out for its strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 30% of Iowa elementary schools in 2023-2024 and the top 50% in 2022-2023. The school's 3rd grade ELA proficiency rate was 72.1% in 2024-2025, compared to the state average of 67.9%, and its 4th grade ELA proficiency rate was an impressive 90.2%, well above the state average of 76%. These academic achievements are particularly noteworthy given the school's high percentage of students (50.36%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a relatively high level of economic need among the student population.

Despite the economic challenges faced by many of its students, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School is able to provide a high-quality education, as evidenced by its low student-teacher ratio of 12.1 and its significantly higher-than-average spending per student of $32,082 for the 2018-2019 school year. These resources and the school's strong performance within the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District, which is ranked 138 out of 313 districts in Iowa, contribute to the school's success in supporting student learning and achievement.

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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)		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
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	400 3rd St NW	Hartley	51346	O'Brien County	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 928-2020	261	22	11.9	50.2%	212 (81.2%)	5 (1.9%)	40 (15.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	70.1	172^nd of 576 public elementary schools	70.1%		78.1	82^nd of 557 public elementary schools	85.3%	90	72.1	90.2	79.1	82.9	$32,082	$769	$31,314

Cities Near Zip Code 51346

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Hartley	0.28 mi	2	193^rd
Sanborn	8.97 mi	1	188^th
Primghar	10 mi	1	263^rd
Royal	12.83 mi	1
Spencer	16.45 mi	5	138^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.