The top reported proficiency rate is 75% in English language arts. The lowest is 57% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Mcgregor Intermediate School
McGregor Intermediate School, a regular public school in northeast Iowa, serves only fourth and fifth graders. It sits within the MFL MarMac Community School District and is housed in the small Mississippi River town of McGregor, a place known for its steep sandstone bluffs and historic downtown commercial district. In a town that leans older and has seen modest population decline, the school draws a predominantly local enrollment that is small enough that virtually every family connected to it will likely know the teachers and each other.
The student body is overwhelmingly white. About two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a share that lifts the school into the moderate range for the region. The school environment data, including staffing ratios, chronic absenteeism, and discipline, was not available for this profile. Similarly, information on programs such as gifted services or special education support was absent, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the range of academic interventions and enrichment offered at these two grade levels.
On state assessments administered in the most recent year, the school’s reading proficiency rate was solidly above a majority of students, while the math proficiency rate was also above a majority but by a smaller margin. Science performance, tested only in part of the grade band, saw roughly half of students meeting standards. Participation was universal for these tests. When the school’s performance across all three subjects is averaged together and compared with other districts in Clayton County, it falls into the bottom quarter. The comparison set is small, however, so the gap between the lowest and highest is not as wide as it might be in a more populous area. Still, a parent looking specifically at academic outcomes may want to discuss with the school how they support students who are not yet proficient and what trends look like over time. Only one year of data was available, so there is no basis yet for seeing improvement or decline.
McGregor itself is a compact town anchored by antique shops, restaurants, and live music that draws summer tourists. Housing values in the area are near the state average, and the town is not experiencing growth — the population has been slowly contracting. There are no major employers flagged in public records, and the local economy appears oriented around tourism and small services. The school building, located at 920 West Main Street, is within the town’s walkable core. For a family considering relocating here, the housing market is relatively affordable compared with national benchmarks, but the long-term demographic trend is one of shrinkage, not expansion.
Because the school serves only two grades, there is no graduation rate, no college-going data, and no advanced course access to evaluate. The district itself — MFL MarMac — oversees the full K‑12 pathway, and parents of intermediate students will eventually send their children on to a middle and high school within the same system. Recent district-wide changes were not identified in available public records.
In short, McGregor Intermediate is a small, rural school delivering instruction to fourth and fifth graders in a town that prizes its historic character and river setting. Its academic performance, while above a majority in reading and math, sits on the lower end when benchmarked against its few county peers. Families drawn to a tight-knit community with a slower pace of life and modest housing costs may find the school a natural fit, especially if they value small scale over competitive academic metrics. Those seeking a wider array of program options or stronger comparative test scores would want to investigate the full K‑12 trajectory offered by the district before committing.
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