Central Decatur Ms/hs High School, Leon IA

Original Research by School Decision on Central Decatur Ms/hs High School

Central Decatur MS/HS High School is the sole secondary school in the Central Decatur Community School District, serving students from seventh grade through twelfth in the small rural county seat of Leon, Iowa. The school combines middle and high school grades on one campus, which means younger teenagers share the building with graduating seniors — a common arrangement in smaller districts. Enrollment is modest for a seven-grade span, and the student body is overwhelmingly white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a higher-need context compared to many Iowa schools.

Leon itself is a traditional courthouse-square town with a declining population. It functions as both a residential community and a civic and commercial hub for wider Decatur County. Seasonal events such as a rodeo, a fall festival, and a December “Leon Noel” celebration gather residents around the square. The town has a few public parks, a swimming pool, and a nearby lake recreation area with camping and boating. Housing values are well below both state and national averages, reflecting the area’s rural character and modest economic base. The median household income is lower than the national figure, and the poverty rate is elevated. No major new housing developments or commercial growth projects were reported in the available materials, consistent with the population decline.

Academic performance at Central Decatur MS/HS is a clear strength. On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, the school’s combined results for tested grades placed overall proficiency well above the county midpoint among the two districts in Decatur County. English language arts and science results were particularly strong, with a large majority of students meeting the state’s proficiency standard. Mathematics proficiency was solid as well, though a bit lower than the other subjects; a majority of students still performed at or above the benchmark. Participation in the state tests was very high, so the results reflect nearly all enrolled students in those grade levels.

Because the school’s test data is reported at the grade-span level that includes only the middle-grade portion of its students, the academic picture for the high school years specifically is less direct. The available information does not include a four-year graduation rate, Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment course access, or other postsecondary readiness indicators. A parent looking for that kind of detail would want to ask the school directly about college and career pathways for upperclassmen.

No recent district-level changes — curriculum shifts, property tax referenda, or building plans — surfaced in the research, so the school appears to be operating in a stable district environment without major disruptions or initiatives that would be widely reported.

For families considering this school, the central question is fit. Central Decatur MS/HS offers a small, combined middle-high school setting in a quiet rural town where housing is affordable and community life revolves around the courthouse square. The academic results are solid, especially in reading and science, and the school’s proficiency stands out within its county. At the same time, the student body carries a notable level of economic disadvantage, and the community’s population decline may affect long-term enrollment and resources. A parent interested in a tight-knit school with decent test scores and low housing costs could find this a comfortable match, while those seeking extensive advanced coursework or a larger, more diverse peer environment would want to explore further before deciding.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 45 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

336 schools plotted. 3 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grades 3-873%

School 73% · District 76% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median

English language arts

Grades 3-887%

School 87% · District 77% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median

Science

Grades 3-894%

School 94% · District 88% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median

This schoolCentral Decatur 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 7Lower-income68%Higher-income92%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income95%Higher-income100%5 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income81%Higher-income96%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income64%Higher-income62%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income70%Higher-income100%30 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income67%Higher-income82%15 pp gap