Essex Community School District

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

Top Rankings

Essex Community 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 school year, there is 1 public preschool serving 121 students in Essex Community School District. This district's average pre testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public pre schools in Iowa.
Public Preschool in Essex Community School District have an average math proficiency score of 75% (versus the Iowa public pre school average of 73%), and reading proficiency score of 65% (versus the 69% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 7% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Iowa public preschool average of 27% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (IA)
# Schools
2 Schools
474 Schools
# Students
215 Students
151,894 Students
# Teachers
18 Teachers
11,053 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
12:1
12:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Essex Community 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%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.16
0.45
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
n/a
2%
% Hispanic
5%
13%
% Black
n/a
6%
% White
92%
73%
% Hawaiian
n/a
1%
% Two or more races
3%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $19,167 is higher than the state median of $16,468. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,949 is higher than the state median of $16,042. The school district spending/student has declined by 9% over four school years.
This School District
This State (IA)
Total Revenue
$4 MM
$8,262 MM
Spending
$4 MM
$8,048 MM
Revenue / Student
$19,167
$16,468
Spending / Student
$16,949
$16,042

Best Essex Community School District Public Preschools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Essex Elementary School
(Math: 70-79% | Reading: 60-69%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
111 Forbes St
Essex, IA 51638
(712) 379-3114
Gr: PK-5 | 121 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 6%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 2 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 215 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 12:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 8%
  • : ≥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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