The top reported proficiency rate is 97% in Science. The lowest is 83% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lisbon Secondary
Lisbon Secondary serves grades seven through twelve in the Lisbon Community School District, a small-town public school system in eastern Iowa’s Linn County. The school is part of the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area, and the town of Lisbon itself is a primarily residential community adjacent to Mount Vernon. The population grew measurably in the years leading up to the 2020 census, and the homeownership rate is well above the national average. The largest local industries are health care, educational services, and manufacturing. The school is integrated into the small-town fabric rather than set apart on a separate campus, and the district serves as a central civic institution.
The student body is small for a secondary school serving grades seven through twelve. The racial and ethnic composition is overwhelmingly white, with a very small share of students identifying as Hispanic, Black, or two or more races. About one in five students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a rate that is low compared to many Iowa districts and reflects the community’s above-average household income. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source material, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
Academically, Lisbon Secondary posts strong results on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient or above is very high. In math, the proficiency rate is also strong, though a bit lower than in reading. Science results are similarly high. The school’s overall proficiency index, which averages performance across tested subjects and grades, places it in the top quartile among districts in Linn County. These are the results of a single year, and the data does not include prior years for comparison, so it is not possible to say whether performance is improving or declining. Still, the current picture is one of solid academic achievement.
The school serves grades seven through twelve, so there is no elementary-level testing data here, and no graduation rate was reported in the available data. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its four-year graduation rate and postsecondary plans for seniors.
The student body is small, and the school is the only secondary building in the Lisbon Community School District. The district itself did not have any recent major changes publicly reported, so the institutional context appears stable.
Housing in Lisbon is notably expensive relative to the surrounding area. Home values are above the national median, and the local market has seen modest appreciation. The town’s homeownership rate is high, and vacancy is very low, which points to a tight housing market. For families moving into the district, the cost of entry is a real consideration. The town’s median household income is above the county median, and the largest employment sectors are health care, education, and manufacturing.
The school’s academic profile is its clearest strength. On the state assessments, the share of students scoring proficient or above is high in English language arts, math, and science. The school’s overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Linn County. That is a strong signal for a family focused on academic outcomes. The school is small, which can mean more individualized attention, though the data does not include class sizes or student-to-teacher ratios to confirm that directly.
The student population is not economically diverse by the measure of free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, and the racial composition is predominantly white. A family looking for a school with a broad mix of backgrounds may find the student body relatively homogeneous. The school’s location in a small town with a tight housing market and above-average home values means that the community itself is similarly not economically diverse.
The data does not include information on Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment course offerings, career and technical education pathways, or extracurricular programs. A parent interested in those options should check with the school directly. The district brief turned up no recent major changes, so the institutional environment appears stable.
For a family that values high academic performance in a small, stable, predominantly white community with a tight housing market, Lisbon Secondary presents a strong academic record. The school’s test scores are well above the county median, and the community’s economic profile is comfortable. The main open questions are about program breadth and postsecondary outcomes, which the available data does not cover.
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