Ottumwa Community School District

1112 N Van Buren
Ottumwa, IA 52501
(District boundaries shown in map)
1/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

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

Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 3 public high schools serving 1,526 students in Ottumwa Community School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 1/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in Iowa.
Public High Schools in Ottumwa Community School District have an average math proficiency score of 48% (versus the Iowa public high school average of 65%), and reading proficiency score of 53% (versus the 71% statewide average).
Public High School in Ottumwa Community School District have a Graduation Rate of 83%, which is less than the Iowa average of 87%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Ottumwa High School, with 91% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Iowa or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 49% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Iowa public high school average of 27% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IA)
# Schools
11 Schools
365 Schools
# Students
4,982 Students
171,507 Students
# Teachers
333 Teachers
11,091 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Ottumwa Community School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% 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 83% has decreased from 91% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (IA)
#315 out of 327 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
53%
68%
55%
70%
49%
63%
83%
90%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.66
0.45
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
3%
2%
% Hispanic
26%
13%
% Black
8%
6%
% White
51%
73%
% Hawaiian
10%
1%
% Two or more races
2%
4%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $13,732 in this school district is less than the state median of $16,468. The school district revenue/student has declined by 7% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $12,878 is less than the state median of $16,042. The school district spending/student has declined by 7% over four school years.
This School District
This State (IA)
Total Revenue
$68 MM
$8,262 MM
Spending
$64 MM
$8,048 MM
Revenue / Student
$13,732
$16,468
Spending / Student
$12,878
$16,042

Best Ottumwa Community School District Public High Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Ottumwa High School
(Math: 53% | Reading: 54%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
501 E 2nd
Ottumwa, IA 52501
(641) 683-4444
Gr: 9-12 | 1,239 student Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 49%
Rank: #22.
Ottumwa Virtual Learning
(Math: 11-19% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1112 N Van Buren
Ottumwa, IA 52501
(641) 684-6597
Gr: PK-12 | 57 students Minority enrollment: 46%
Rank: n/an/a
Gateway High School
907 Gateway Drive
Ottumwa, IA 52501
(641) 684-6597
Gr: 9-12 | 230 students Student-teacher ratio: 38:1 Minority enrollment: 49%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 11 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 4,982 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 49%
  • : 83% (Top 50% in IA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 53% (Btm 50%)
  • : 55% (Btm 50%)
  • : 49% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), IA Dept. of Education

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