Iola

The Iola school district in Kansas consists of three schools: Iola Elementary School, Iola Senior High, and Iola Middle School. While Iola Elementary School stands out as the strongest performer, with relatively high enrollment and better test scores, the district as a whole faces challenges in academic achievement and attendance.

Iola Elementary School has an enrollment of 635 students and is ranked 425 out of 656 Kansas elementary schools, with a 2 out of 5 star rating. The school performs above the Iola district and state averages in English Language Arts proficiency, but struggles with math proficiency. In contrast, Iola Senior High and Iola Middle School both have low statewide rankings and ratings, as well as underperformance on state assessments compared to the Kansas averages.

Across all three schools, the district faces high chronic absenteeism rates of 19.5%, which may be a contributing factor to the lower academic performance. Additionally, the significant differences in spending per student between the high school ($14,095) and middle school ($9,424) suggest potential inequities in resource allocation within the district. The high rates of free/reduced lunch recipients, ranging from 60.87% to 70%, indicate that the Iola schools serve a predominantly economically disadvantaged student population, which may present unique challenges and require targeted support.