The top reported proficiency rate is 81% in Math. The lowest is 73% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Riceville Elementary School
Riceville Elementary School serves students from preschool through fifth grade in a single building complex that houses the entire Riceville Community School District, a small rural district in northern Iowa. The school sits on a separated campus at the edge of town, where Woodland Avenue marks the line between Howard County on the east and Mitchell County on the west. With an enrollment that is modest for its grade band, this is a neighborhood elementary school where most students come from the surrounding small town and the agricultural countryside.
Academically, Riceville Elementary posts strong results on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress. In math and English language arts, the share of students scoring at or above the proficient level is high, and the school’s performance in science is solid. Participation in state testing was nearly complete. When compared with other elementary schools in Howard County, Riceville Elementary places in the top tier of the comparison set, a set that includes the county’s two districts. That means the school’s overall proficiency index, which averages tested subjects and grades, sits at the high end of the local range. There is only one year of test data available here, so no trend line can be drawn yet, but the current picture is one of consistent achievement.
The student body is predominantly white, with a small Hispanic population and a modest share of students who identify as two or more races. A substantial portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community where household incomes tend to run below the county median. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported in the data sources used here, so a parent who wants to understand special education or English language support should follow up directly with the school.
Riceville itself is a small, primarily residential town with a low-density built environment and a Main Street commercial area that includes a convenience store and city hall. Most workers drive alone to jobs either locally or in nearby towns such as Cresco or Osage. The school district is a significant local employer. Housing values in the area have been rising in recent years, even as the town’s population has seen modest fluctuation with a slight recent decline. The median home value is somewhat above the national price-to-income benchmark but remains broadly accessible compared with many parts of the country. There are no large new housing developments or commercial projects identified in publicly reported sources, and the overall growth context is stable but not expanding.
Recreational amenities in Riceville include a city park with playgrounds, a public library, a nine-hole golf course, and the Wapsi Great Western Nature Bike Trail, which starts in town and connects to Lake Hendricks campground. There is no public transit system; families rely on personal vehicles.
For parents considering this school, Riceville Elementary offers strong academic outcomes in a small-setting rural school where the elementary grades share a campus with the district’s secondary students. The peer group is small and locally oriented. The combination of high test scores and a significant share of students from lower-income households suggests that the school is serving its community effectively. The absence of certain data fields means a family with a child who may need special education services or English language support should ask the school directly about those programs. This is a straightforward, well-performing elementary school in a town that is quiet, affordable, and deeply rooted in agriculture and small-town life.
See more original research from School Decision →