Essex Comm School District

111 Forbes St
Essex, IA 51638
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

Top Rankings

Essex Comm School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Iowa for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 10%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 5%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there is 1 public middle school serving 87 students in Essex Comm School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public middle schools in Iowa.
Public Middle School in Essex Comm School District have an average math proficiency score of 77% (versus the Iowa public middle school average of 68%), and reading proficiency score of 87% (versus the 71% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 11% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Iowa public middle school average of 27% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IA)
# Schools
2 Schools
372 Schools
# Students
188 Students
129,526 Students
# Teachers
16 Teachers
9,068 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
12:1
12:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Essex Comm School District, which is ranked within the top 30% of all 325 school districts in Iowa (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 50% has decreased from 80% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IA)
#59 out of 327 school districts
(Top 20%)
76%
68%
80-84%
70%
80-89%
63%
(21-22)
≥50%
90%
(2022-23)
20.4%
24.7%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.20
0.45
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
n/a
2%
% Hispanic
7%
12%
% Black
n/a
6%
% White
89%
73%
% Hawaiian
n/a
1%
% Two or more races
4%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $22,314 is higher than the state median of $18,179. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $23,191 is higher than the state median of $18,122. The school district spending/student has grown by 21% over four school years.
This School District
This State (IA)
Total Revenue
$4 MM
$9,049 MM
Spending
$4 MM
$9,021 MM
Revenue / Student
$22,314
$18,179
Spending / Student
$23,191
$18,122

Best Essex Comm School District Public Middle Schools (2026-27)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Essex Junior-senior High School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 85-89%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
111 Forbes St
Essex, IA 51638
(712) 379-3115
Gr: 6-12 | 87 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 11%

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Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • District size: 2 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 188 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 11%
  • : ≥50% (Btm 50% in IA)
  • : Top 20%
  • : 76% (Top 30%)
  • : 80-84% (Top 10%)
  • : 80-89% (Top 5%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IA Dept. of Education

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