Wapello Elementary School

Q: Is Wapello Elementary School a good school?

Wapello Elementary School ranks 412 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Wapello Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 239 students in grades PK-5 in Wapello, Iowa, which is part of the Wapello Community School District. The school's academic performance, as measured by state assessments, is generally below the Iowa state average, with the school consistently ranking in the bottom half of elementary schools in the state.

Wapello Elementary School has a predominantly white student population, with 81.59% of students identifying as white, which is higher than the state average of 64.2%. The school has a higher percentage of Hispanic students (13.81%) compared to the state average of 12.6%. Academically, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics are below the state averages, though the 5th-grade Mathematics proficiency rate is slightly above the state average. The school has seen a decrease in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, from 51.09% in 2020-2021 to 28.03% in 2022-2023, which is still higher than the nearby Mediapolis Elementary School, which had a free and reduced lunch rate of 33.18% in 2022-2023.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Mulberry Elementary School and Mediapolis Elementary School, which have higher rankings and academic proficiency rates, Wapello Elementary School's consistent underperformance suggests the need for targeted interventions and strategies to support student success.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

505 N Cedar
Wapello, IA 52653

(319) 523-5571

District: Wapello Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
412^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,318

Students who attend Wapello Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Wapello Junior High School
High:	Wapello Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.2

Number of students: 230

Racial breakdown:

White:

82.2%

Hispanic:

16.1%

Two or more races:

1.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.1%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Wapello Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Wapello Elementary School ranks worse than 74% of elementary schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.31. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (82.2%), Hispanic (16.1%), two or more races (1.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wapello Elementary School is 11.2. (See more...)

Compare Wapello Elementary School employs 20.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wapello Elementary School is $16,318.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Wapello Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Wapello Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Wapello Community School District 264^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Wapello Elementary School.

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Rank History for Wapello Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	32.82	509^th	626	18.7%
2013	33.23	500^th	624	19.9%
2014	53.62	342^nd	603	43.3%
2015	41.74	440^th	616	28.6%
2016	31.19	483^rd	599	19.4%
2017	30.40	453^rd	574	21.1%
2018	23.57	472^nd	567	16.8%
2019	32.02	454^th	603	24.7%
2021	42.11	370^th	567	34.7%
2022	43.50	369^th	574	35.7%
2023	43.13	378^th	565	33.1%
2024	35.31	412^th	557	26.0%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, April 5, 2019

This school district has been destroying the self-esteem of struggling students for years. Teachers torture these students with tons of homework but fail to teach. Lack of understanding for students with hidden learning disabilities like DYSLEXIA staff only understands disabilities that they can physically see. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Wapello Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	381	0	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	383
1989	438	0	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	443
1990	413	2	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	422
1991	426	4	4	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	442
1992	367	9	4	4	26	n/a	n/a	0	410
1993	407	1	3	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	429
1994	393	0	5	21	4	n/a	n/a	0	423
1995	410	41	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	454
1996	410	41	1	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	454
1997	390	0	0	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	424
1998	368	0	0	30	0	n/a	n/a	0	398
1999	347	0	1	48	0	n/a	n/a	0	396
2000	375	4	0	51	3	n/a	n/a	-30	403
2001	333	4	0	60	0	n/a	n/a	0	397
2002	318	8	3	50	5	n/a	n/a	0	384
2003	318	8	3	50	5	n/a	n/a	0	384
2004	339	5	2	59	6	n/a	n/a	0	411
2005	361	3	2	56	3	n/a	n/a	0	425
2006	373	5	5	68	4	n/a	n/a	0	455
2007	364	15	4	57	4	n/a	n/a	0	444
2008	367	4	3	47	4	n/a	n/a	0	425
2009	347	3	4	40	3	n/a	n/a	0	397
2010	348	1	0	45	0	3	7	0	404
2011	342	3	0	47	0	3	5	0	400
2012	317	1	0	39	2	2	3	0	364
2013	299	0	0	38	2	1	7	0	347
2014	267	0	0	33	2	1	6	0	309
2015	259	0	0	38	2	1	7	0	307
2016	246	2	0	34	2	0	8	0	292
2017	230	2	0	34	2	0	8	0	276
2018	242	3	0	32	2	0	6	0	285
2019	202	3	0	33	0	0	6	0	244
2020	200	2	0	23	0	1	6	0	232
2021	190	2	0	30	0	0	7	0	229
2022	185	4	0	28	0	0	7	0	224
2023	195	4	0	33	1	0	6	0	239
2024	189	1	0	37	0	0	3	0	230

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Wapello Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	383	24.0	15.9	17.8
1989	443	26.1	16.9	18.5
1990	422	28.3	14.9	19.9
1991	442	28.3	15.6	25.6
1992	410	26.0	15.7	23.2
1993	429	29.5	14.5	24.5
1994	423	29.1	14.5	26
1995	454	29.7	15.3	28.4
1996	454	29.7	15.3	28.4
1997	424	29.6	14.3	29
1998	398	28.8	13.8	29.9
1999	396	27.8	14.2	32.8
2000	403	28.5	14.1	34.2
2001	397	27.0	14.7	43.6
2002	384	32.5	11.8	44.5
2003	384	32.5	11.8	44.5
2004	411	32.5	12.6	48.7
2005	425	35.0	12.1	47.5
2006	455	35.5	12.8	50.5
2007	444	36.5	12.2	48.6
2008	425	34.5	12.3	49.2
2009	397	33.5	11.9	52.6
2010	404	33.5	12.0	50.5
2011	400	32.0	12.5	54.3
2012	364	29.6	12.2	53.3
2013	347	28.9	11.9	53.6
2014	309	26.7	11.5	57.9
2015	307	25.0	12.2	49.8
2016	292	25.0	11.6	52.4
2017	276	25.0	11.0	55.4
2018	285	23.6	12.0	54.7
2019	244	22.6	10.7	56.6
2020	232	21.8	10.6	55.2
2021	229	21.0	10.8	51.1
2022	224	20.6	10.8	37.5
2023	239	22.6	10.5	28
2024	230	20.4	11.2	29.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Wapello Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	383	24.0	15.9	17.8
1989	443	26.1	16.9	18.5
1990	422	28.3	14.9	19.9
1991	442	28.3	15.6	25.6
1992	410	26.0	15.7	23.2
1993	429	29.5	14.5	24.5
1994	423	29.1	14.5	26
1995	454	29.7	15.3	28.4
1996	454	29.7	15.3	28.4
1997	424	29.6	14.3	29
1998	398	28.8	13.8	29.9
1999	396	27.8	14.2	32.8
2000	403	28.5	14.1	34.2
2001	397	27.0	14.7	43.6
2002	384	32.5	11.8	44.5
2003	384	32.5	11.8	44.5
2004	411	32.5	12.6	48.7
2005	425	35.0	12.1	47.5
2006	455	35.5	12.8	50.5
2007	444	36.5	12.2	48.6
2008	425	34.5	12.3	49.2
2009	397	33.5	11.9	52.6
2010	404	33.5	12.0	50.5
2011	400	32.0	12.5	54.3
2012	364	29.6	12.2	53.3
2013	347	28.9	11.9	53.6
2014	309	26.7	11.5	57.9
2015	307	25.0	12.2	49.8
2016	292	25.0	11.6	52.4
2017	276	25.0	11.0	55.4
2018	285	23.6	12.0	54.7
2019	244	22.6	10.7	56.6
2020	232	21.8	10.6	55.2
2021	229	21.0	10.8	51.1
2022	224	20.6	10.8	37.5
2023	239	22.6	10.5	28
2024	230	20.4	11.2	29.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Wapello Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,228 (7.5%)	$15,091 (92.5%)	$16,318

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wapello Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 454^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 378^th of 565 Elementary schools	8.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wapello Elementary School)	82.4	55.9	26.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wapello Community School District)	82.4	55.9	26.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wapello Elementary School)	76.5	64.7	11.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wapello Community School District)	76.5	64.7	11.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wapello Elementary School)	38.7	68.6	29.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wapello Community School District)	38.7	68.6	29.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wapello Elementary School)	48.4	71.4	23%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wapello Community School District)	48.4	71.4	23%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wapello Elementary School)	61	65.4	4.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wapello Community School District)	61	65.4	4.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wapello Elementary School)	31.7	73.1	41.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wapello Community School District)	31.7	73.1	41.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	244	239	2%
African American	3	4	33.3%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	33	33
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	202	195	3.5%
Two or More Races	6	6
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	56.6%	28%	28.5%

Schools Near Wapello Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)				ISASP Mathematics (2024)				ISASP Science (2024)	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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wapello Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	505 N Cedar	Wapello	52653	Louisa County	Wapello Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 523-5571	230	20	11.2	29.1%	189 (82.2%)	1 (0.4%)	37 (16.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	35.3	412^th of 557 public elementary schools	26.0%		43.1	378^th of 565 public elementary schools	33.1%	34	60.0	61.8	47.1		66.7	67.6	73.5		58.8	$16,318	$1,228	$15,091
Morning Sun Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	311 Division Street	Morning Sun	52640	Louisa County	Morning Sun Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 868-7701	127	11	11.8	39.4%	125 (98.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	66.6	186^th of 557 public elementary schools	66.6%		69.9	169^th of 565 public elementary schools	70.1%	17	63.2	71.4	100.0	100.0	68.4	64.3	93.8	80.0	87.5	$15,442	$926	$14,515
Louisa-Muscatine Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	14506 170th St	Letts	52754	Louisa County	Louisa-Muscatine Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 726-3634	453	36	12.7	37.5%	402 (88.7%)	1 (0.2%)	43 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.5%)	69.7	165^th of 557 public elementary schools	70.4%		65.1	199^th of 565 public elementary schools	64.8%	34	66.1	79.7	78.5	90.4	82.3	75.0	83.1	84.6	63.1	$12,487	$443	$12,042
Roundy Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1212 Colton St	Columbus Junction	52738	Louisa County	Columbus Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 728-6218	386	32	12.0	70.5%	120 (31.1%)	18 (4.7%)	207 (53.6%)	39 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	33.2	427^th of 557 public elementary schools	23.3%		38.2	409^th of 565 public elementary schools	27.6%	18	55.4	61.9	61.5	75.4	75.0	38.1	64.1	64.9	53.8	$13,228	$869	$12,358
Mediapolis Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	725 N. Northfield	Mediapolis	52637	Des Moines County	Mediapolis Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 394-3101	429	29	14.8	36.4%	391 (91.1%)	5 (1.2%)	15 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.5%)	68.7	176^th of 557 public elementary schools	68.4%		69.5	173^rd of 565 public elementary schools	69.4%	3	68.1	76.1	83.3		81.9	71.8	84.8		71.6	$10,838	$206	$10,632
Winfield Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	208 S Olive	Winfield	52659	Henry County	Winfield-Mt Union Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 257-7702	193	15	12.9	54.9%	171 (88.6%)	8 (4.1%)	13 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44	371^st of 557 public elementary schools	33.4%		52.3	310^th of 565 public elementary schools	45.1%	61	56.3	85.7	58.6		75.0	82.1	62.1		44.8	$10,969	$638	$10,332
Franklin Elementary School	Public	K-6	210 Taylor St	Muscatine	52761	Muscatine County	Muscatine Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 263-5040	288	27	10.8	69.8%	134 (46.5%)	10 (3.5%)	131 (45.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.8%)	19	474^th of 557 public elementary schools	14.9%		10.4	524^th of 565 public elementary schools	7.3%	50	58.3	38.1	53.8	71.9	79.2	45.2	57.7	46.9	38.5	$14,098	$1,533	$12,565
McKinley Elementary School	Public	K-6	621 Kindler Ave	Muscatine	52761	Muscatine County	Muscatine Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 263-9049	430	33	13.1	60.7%	248 (57.7%)	30 (7.0%)	122 (28.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.5%)	18.8	475^th of 557 public elementary schools	14.7%		17.9	493^rd of 565 public elementary schools	12.7%	18	52.8	49.3	49.3	67.2	69.8	43.3	56.5	65.6	44.9	$13,538	$845	$12,693
Waco Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	200 S. Main Street	Crawfordsville	52621	Washington County	Waco Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 658-2931	288	22	12.8	47.2%	259 (89.9%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (8.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)								(n/a)										$11,342	$487	$10,856
Jefferson Elementary School	Public	K-6	1000 Mulberry Ave	Muscatine	52761	Muscatine County	Muscatine Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 263-8800	421	34	12.4	77.4%	195 (46.3%)	32 (7.6%)	165 (39.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.4%)	19.5	470^th of 557 public elementary schools	15.6%		18.6	490^th of 565 public elementary schools	13.3%	20	45.0	50.0	57.9	59.6	56.7	67.2	61.4	49.1	54.4	$13,574	$956	$12,618

Frequently Asked Questions about Wapello Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Wapello Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Wapello Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Wapello Junior High School
High : Wapello Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Wapello Elementary School?

Students at Wapello Elementary School are 82% White, 16% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Wapello Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 230 students attended Wapello Elementary School.

What district is Wapello Elementary School in?

Wapello Community School District

Is Wapello Elementary School a good school?

Wapello Elementary School ranks 412^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

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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.