The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in Math. The lowest is 70% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Bellevue High School
Bellevue High School serves students from sixth through twelfth grade under one roof on the western edge of a small Mississippi River town. It is a regular public school in the Bellevue Community School District, and its academic performance places it among the strongest in Jackson County relative to the other three districts in the county. On the state's ISASP assessments, proficiency rates in math and English language arts are above the county midpoint for the grades tested, and science proficiency, while somewhat lower, also sits at a solid level. A parent looking at test results across the subjects will see a school that is performing consistently well for its region, with nearly all students participating in the assessments.
The student body is small and overwhelmingly white, with a modest share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's demographic profile is homogeneous, reflecting the broader community. Special education and English learner counts were not reported in the available data, so families who need those specific details should follow up directly with the school. The graduation rate, a metric many families track closely, was also missing from the data we had; given that the school serves a full twelfth-grade class, this is an important point to clarify with the district.
Bellevue itself is a town of a few thousand residents, set in a valley between bluffs along the Mississippi River. It draws tourists for its historic architecture, riverfront, and nearby state park, and it functions both as a residential community and a weekend destination. The high school sits on a separate campus west of downtown, with athletic facilities and an attached middle school, while the district's elementary school occupies a pre–Civil War former county courthouse in the town center. The high school underwent notable renovations in recent years, adding a gymnasium, cafeteria, student commons, and district offices. Housing values in the area are above the state median, and while the town's population grew through the 2010s, more recent estimates show a slight contraction. The district itself has seen enrollment increases in the recent past, bucking a statewide predicted decline, so the school is not shrinking.
One distinctive feature of Bellevue High School is its long-standing whole-grade sharing agreement with the Andrew Community School District. Under this arrangement, high school students from Andrew may choose to attend Bellevue or Maquoketa High School, which brings a small number of additional students into Bellevue's classes. This has been in place for many years and shapes the peer environment and class sizes. A parent considering Bellevue should understand that the school draws from both its own district and a neighboring one, but the overall enrollment remains moderate.
Program offerings such as Advanced Placement, dual credit, or career and technical education were not provided in the data, so it is not possible to describe the breadth of coursework beyond what is typical for a small Iowa high school. Families who want to know whether the school offers specific pathways should ask the guidance office. Similarly, information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, and staffing ratios was absent. The school environment and access section was largely empty, so a thorough picture of daily conditions beyond academics relies on a visit or direct inquiry.
For a family looking at schools in Jackson County, Bellevue High School stands out on the academic side: its proficiency rates are consistently above the median for the county, and it holds a top-tier position among the four districts. The context is a small, river-town setting with a tourism-oriented economy, a historic downtown, and a school campus that has been recently updated. The student population is mostly white and not wealthy but not deeply impoverished either. The missing pieces—graduation rate, special education counts, program depth—are worth investigating, but the core academic picture is one of reliable, above-average performance in a close-knit community.
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