Lawton-bronson Junior-senior High School, Lawton IA

Original Research by School Decision on Lawton-bronson Junior-senior High School

Lawton-Bronson Junior-Senior High School serves seventh through twelfth grade as a regular public school in the small Woodbury County town of Lawton, Iowa. The school is part of the Lawton-Bronson Community School District and occupies a single campus on the east side of town, where a fitness center sits adjacent to the building. The town itself is a bedroom community for Sioux City, roughly a short drive west on U.S. Route 20, set in rolling farmland with a handful of businesses—a restaurant, an antique shop, an upholstery shop—and a largely residential character. Most working residents commute to Sioux City; there are no major employers within town limits.

Academically, the school posts strong results on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress. Students in the tested grades—seventh and eighth, since the assessment covers grades three through eight—show high proficiency rates in English language arts, math, and science, with full participation across all three subjects. When compared to other districts in Woodbury County, the school lands in the top quartile for overall proficiency, meaning its combined performance across subjects and grade levels is among the strongest in the county. A multi-year trend is not available because the data covers only a single year, so it is not possible to say whether scores are improving or declining.

A few important data points are missing. The school’s four-year graduation rate was not reported in the available records, and chronic absenteeism figures are also absent. Families wondering about those metrics may want to ask the district directly. Course offerings such as Advanced Placement, career and technical education, or dual credit programs were not documented in the data provided, so it is unclear what academic pathways exist beyond the core curriculum.

Enrollment is small for a combined junior-senior high. The student body is predominantly white, with modest Hispanic and multiracial representation and small numbers of Black and American Indian students. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a moderate level of economic need. Data on special education and English learner populations was not available.

The community context is a largely car-dependent, low-density village. Home values in the area are well above the Iowa median, reflecting the town’s desirability as a commuter base and its limited housing stock. The town covers a very compact geographic footprint, with parks, churches, and a post office anchoring daily life. There is no walkable commercial main street; residents rely on personal vehicles for errands and employment.

The district brief turned up no recent major changes—no bond issues, consolidation plans, superintendent turnover, or program overhauls in the available records. This suggests a period of stability, though families moving into the area may want to confirm current conditions directly with the school or district office.

This is a school that fits families looking for a small rural setting where academic outcomes in the middle grades are well above the county norm. The lack of program detail and missing high school outcome data means that a deeper inquiry into the upper-grade experience, graduation rates, and course pathways would be wise before enrolling. For those comfortable in a quiet, commuter-oriented town with strong elementary and middle school numbers, Lawton-Bronson Junior-Senior High is a compelling option among Woodbury County’s districts.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 48 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 3-887%

School 87% · District 87% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

English language arts

Grades 3-894%

School 94% · District 86% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Science

Grades 3-883%

School 83% · District 81% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

This schoolLawton-Bronson 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-income85%Higher-income91%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income93%Higher-income98%5 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income89%Higher-income95%6 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income62%Higher-income88%26 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income87%Higher-income94%7 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income75%Higher-income92%17 pp gap