West Sioux Middle School, Hawarden IA

Original Research by School Decision on West Sioux Middle School

West Sioux Middle School serves grades six through eight in Hawarden, a small rural city in Sioux County, Iowa, situated along the Big Sioux River. The school is part of the West Sioux Community School District, which was formed decades ago by combining several towns and surrounding rural areas. Hawarden itself is a compact community with a mix of residential streets, light industry, and agriculture-related businesses; major employers include healthcare, manufacturing, and banking. The city has experienced a modest population decline in recent years. For a rural Iowa town, the population is notably diverse, with a substantial Hispanic or Latino presence.

The school’s academic picture comes from one year of state test results, so there is no trend data to show improvement or decline over time. On the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, the school’s results vary by subject. Math proficiency was higher than English language arts and science, with the overall proficiency index falling in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Sioux County. That comparison set includes five districts, placing this middle school among the lower-performing in the county on overall tested subjects. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how instruction and support are structured for each subject area.

The student body is small for a middle school, with roughly similar numbers in each grade. The composition is primarily white, with a significant Hispanic population. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common measure of economic need. Counts of students with disabilities and English learners were not available in the data provided, so a reader cannot assess those dimensions of student support from this profile. No information was reported on discipline rates, course access, staffing ratios, or attendance, all of which are important factors for a parent considering the school environment. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet.

Because the school serves only grades six through eight, there is no graduation rate to report, and no high school program data such as Advanced Placement or dual enrollment. The district brief from publicly available sources found little of lasting impact that would be relevant to a family—no recent curriculum changes, referendums, or tax shifts were documented.

For a family considering this school, the key takeaway is a middle school in a small, stable rural community with a diverse student body and test results that are mixed—stronger in math than in reading or science—and that place it on the lower end when compared with other Sioux County districts. The absence of several common data points limits a full picture of the school’s climate and support systems, so firsthand engagement with the school would be valuable for anyone wanting a deeper understanding.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grades 3-877%

School 77% · District 79% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

English language arts

Grades 3-869%

School 69% · District 74% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Science

Grades 3-863%

School 63% · District 63%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

This schoolWest Sioux 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 6Lower-income57%Higher-income70%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income62%Higher-income80%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income56%Higher-income96%40 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income58%Higher-income82%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income57%Higher-income75%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income76%Higher-income90%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income74%Higher-income100%26 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income68%Higher-income89%21 pp gap