The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in English language arts. The lowest is 65% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Graettinger-terril Elementary School
Graettinger-Terril Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade in the Graettinger-Terril Community School District, a regular public school in the small rural community of Terril, Iowa. The school is one of two attendance centers in a district created by the merger of the former Terril and Graettinger districts, meaning facilities and staff are split between the two towns rather than concentrated in one location.
State assessment results from the 2024-25 school year, based on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP), show that a majority of tested students met or exceeded proficiency standards in reading, math, and science. Performance in English language arts was notably stronger than in math, and science proficiency, while still above half, was the lower of the three subjects. Every student in tested grades participated in the assessments. Because the data covers only a single year, there is no basis to judge whether these results represent an improvement or decline. The school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects, when compared with other school districts in Dickinson County, falls below the midpoint of that small three-district cohort.
The student body is small, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across grades PK through five. The student population is predominantly white, with a modest number of Hispanic students and very few students of other racial backgrounds. More than half of the students at this school qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a measure of economic need that is higher than typical statewide. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, a gap that a parent may want to follow up on with the school.
Terril itself is a very small town with a population that has been declining steadily over the past two decades. It is geographically compact and rural, with a high homeownership rate and a moderate median household income. The telephone cooperative is a local employer, and construction is a notable sector for residents. Housing values in the area are lower than the statewide median, and the national mortgage rate environment at the time of this profile meant monthly payments on a typical priced home would be a meaningful but not outsized share of a typical household budget. No major new housing developments or growth projects were identified, consistent with a contracting rather than expanding community. The town has a public library and local municipal services but no identified public parks or transit system.
For families considering this school, the academic picture is one of generally solid performance on state tests, with ELA a relative strength and room for improvement in math and science compared to other area districts. The school’s small size and rural setting mean close relationships are likely, and the economic diversity of the student body—with a substantial share qualifying for meal assistance—is above the state average. The district operates across two communities, and the elementary school is one piece of a K-12 system that continues in Graettinger for upper grades. No recent significant changes in district policy, facilities, or programming were found in publicly available sources, so the school’s profile appears stable in the near term. This is a school that fits families seeking a small, rural elementary environment in a community with deep local roots and modest resources.
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