The top reported proficiency rate is 85% in English language arts. The lowest is 82% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Washington Elementary School
Washington Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fourth grade as a regular public school in the Mount Vernon Community School District. The school is located in Mount Vernon, a small college town in Linn County that is home to Cornell College. The town’s historic Uptown district, with its walkable commercial core and community events, sits apart from the school district campus where Washington Elementary, the middle school, and the high school are all situated.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, the school posted strong results. Proficiency rates in both math and English language arts placed Washington Elementary in the top quartile among its county’s districts when overall proficiency across tested subjects is considered. Participation in the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress was high. This performance signals a solid foundation for the early grades that feed into the district’s middle and high schools.
The student body is predominantly white, with a small share of Hispanic students and a slightly larger group of students who identify as two or more races. The numbers of Asian and Black students are very small. About a modest share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a lower rate than what is typical statewide. The school does not receive Title I funding based on the data available. Information on the number of students with disabilities or English learners was not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those programs and supports.
Mount Vernon itself sits on a distinctive ridge and blends a historic residential core with the Cornell College campus. Median home values in the town are above the state average, and median household income is relatively high, reflecting an affluent small-town profile. Housing options include Victorian homes in the Ash Park Historic District and other National Register districts. The town has a compact layout with sidewalks connecting neighborhoods to Uptown. A modest population increase since the last census suggests steady, not rapid, growth. The school district’s buildings are on a separate campus away from downtown, not within walking distance of the Uptown commercial area.
Because Washington Elementary serves only prekindergarten through fourth grade, it does not have data on high school graduation, chronic absenteeism, or secondary course access. Those metrics apply to the upper grades and the district level. The school’s own data on staffing ratios, discipline rates, and attendance patterns were also not available in the sources used here. For a family considering this school, the available evidence points to strong early academic outcomes in a community that is both college-town oriented and family-focused, set in a housing market that is costlier than the state average.
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