Ahstw Intermediate School, Avoca IA

Original Research by School Decision on Ahstw Intermediate School

AHSTW Intermediate School serves students in fourth through eighth grades as part of the AHSTW Community School District, a consolidated rural district that draws from Avoca and several surrounding communities in western Iowa. The school sits in Avoca, a small town that functions as a regional service center for nearby farms and the broader East Pottawattamie County area. The building on South Maple Street houses the intermediate grades, meaning students in this age band attend together before moving on to a separate high school for the upper grades.

On the state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, AHSTW Intermediate posted results that stand above the midpoint when measured against other districts across Pottawattamie County. A strong majority of students met proficiency standards in mathematics. The share of students reaching that bar in English language arts was similarly high. In science, the proficiency rate also came in at a level that most families would consider solid. These are the first-year results under the current assessment, so there is no prior year to compare them against, but the overall picture points to consistent academic performance in the core subjects.

The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic students and students identifying as two or more races, and even smaller numbers from other racial groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, which places the school in a middle range in terms of economic need. The enrollment is modest for a school covering five grade levels, with each grade averaging a size that allows for smaller class sections and more individual attention from teachers. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not reported in the available records, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports and services.

Avoca itself is a rural community with a compact historic downtown along Elm Street, where a Main Street Iowa program has been active for years. The town maintains pedestrian trails, a golf course, an aquatic center, and a local museum. Home values in the area are modest, roughly in line with the state median and well below the national median, which reflects the broader affordability of the region. The local economy includes the school district itself, MidAmerican Energy, the Iowa Department of Transportation, and farm-related businesses. The city reports ongoing housing growth, including a second residential subdivision established in recent years, and downtown reinvestment through the Main Street program. The AHSTW district serves multiple towns, so school campuses are spread across Avoca, Hancock, Shelby, Tennant, and Walnut, which means some families will have a longer drive to the intermediate school depending on where they live.

The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was also not available for this school. The district itself shows no recent major changes of lasting impact in the public record, so the institutional context appears stable. For families considering this school, the academic results are a clear strength, and the small class sizes in a rural setting will appeal to some. The town of Avoca offers basic amenities and is working to sustain its population and economy, which gives the school district a stable base of support from the community.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-885%

School 85% · District 86%

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

English language arts

Grades 3-882%

School 82% · District 80% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grades 3-880%

School 80% · District 80%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

This schoolAHSTW Comm School District, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income75%Higher-income85%10 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income68%Higher-income77%8 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income73%Higher-income85%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income70%Higher-income90%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income91%Higher-income90%0 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income76%Higher-income85%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income79%Higher-income91%12 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income82%32 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income64%Higher-income94%31 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income80%Higher-income97%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income95%Higher-income93%2 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income75%Higher-income91%17 pp gap