The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in Math. The lowest is 59% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Colo-nesco Middle/high School
Colo-NESCO Middle/High School serves students from fifth through twelfth grade in a single building in the small town of Colo, Iowa. The school sits within the Colo-NESCO Community School District, which formed from the merger of the Colo and NESCO districts and also operates an elementary school in nearby Zearing. For a family considering this school, the core question is whether a small, rural, combined middle and high school that posts solid proficiency numbers in a district that recently invested heavily in its facilities is the right fit.
Academically, the school’s performance on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress gives a clear picture. In math and English language arts, roughly three-quarters of students tested at the proficient level. Science proficiency, while lower at just under three-fifths of students, still reflects a majority meeting the bar. When placed against other districts in Story County, the school’s overall proficiency across tested subjects lands in the bottom quartile. That county comparison matters because Story County includes higher-performing districts, particularly those tied to Ames and Iowa State University. So while the school’s results are not weak in absolute terms — a majority of students are proficient in every tested subject — families comparing it to nearby districts with stronger aggregate scores should know where it sits. The school had no prior-year data available to show a trend, so one year’s snapshot is all that exists.
The student body is small and overwhelmingly white, reflecting the demographics of the rural communities it serves. Just over two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that signals a notable share of families with lower incomes. The school serves grades five through twelve under one roof, which means middle schoolers and high schoolers share the building. That arrangement is common in small districts and creates a setting where older and younger students interact daily. The school’s website did not list information on special education identification rates, English learner numbers, or course access such as Advanced Placement or dual credit offerings, so a parent who wants to understand the range of academic pathways available should ask the school directly.
Town life in Colo is quiet and rural. The community sits at the intersection of U.S. Routes 30 and 65, roughly halfway between Ames and Marshalltown. The Union Pacific railroad line runs through town, dividing it. Housing values in the area hover near the statewide benchmark, and the national mortgage rate environment is something any buyer would factor in. There is no public transit, and walkability is limited to the town’s small grid. The local economy has no major private employer; most working residents likely commute to Ames or Marshalltown. The town’s population has been stable to slightly declining, and no major new housing developments were identified. For a family, Colo offers a low-key rural setting with quick highway access to larger employment and shopping centers.
A notable recent development is the district’s passage of a bond referendum in 2020 after several earlier attempts had failed. The bond funded a significant facilities overhaul: a new handicap-accessible entrance and lobby, preschool classrooms, and a remodel of the administrative office at the elementary school in Zearing, plus a complete remodel of the middle and high school building in Colo. That work has lasting implications for the quality of the learning environment and for property taxes paid by district residents. Anyone moving into the district should know the bond was recent and the improvements are in place.
The school has no charter or magnet status, and the data did not include information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or graduation rates, so those are gaps a prospective family would need to fill by talking to the school. What is available shows a small, rural combined school where a solid majority of students meet state proficiency standards, where the building was recently upgraded, and where the broader county context is competitive enough that this school falls in the bottom quarter of districts. For a family that values a small community school with a single transition from elementary to a combined middle-high campus, Colo-NESCO Middle/High School presents a clear, straightforward option. For those who want a wider array of course offerings, a more diverse peer environment, or a district with a stronger countywide academic rank, it may feel limited.
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