Iola El, Iola TX - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Iola El

Iola Elementary serves a small elementary-grade population in a rural setting in northwestern Grimes County, drawing most students from the town of Iola and surrounding countryside. The school operates as part of a single consolidated campus with Iola High School and the district office, reflecting the tight-knit scale of the district and local community.

Academically, the school shows uneven performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, fifth-grade students perform strongest, with a majority meeting or exceeding proficiency; fourth graders also show solid results. Third-grade ELA performance is moderate. In mathematics, fifth grade stands out with a solid majority proficient, but third and fourth graders struggle considerably, with fewer than half demonstrating proficiency. Fifth-grade science performance sits at the midpoint. Across all tested subjects schoolwide, students approaching grade-level standards outnumber those meeting them. In the context of Grimes County's four districts, Iola Elementary's overall proficiency index places it above the midpoint, a meaningful position given the rural county comparison.

The student body reflects rural Grimes County demographics. A substantial majority of students are white, with a meaningful Hispanic population and small representation among other groups. About two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a proxy for economic need in the school's immediate community. The school's enrollment is small for its grade span, typical of a rural elementary serving pre-K through fifth grade.

The town and broader context matter for families considering the school. Iola itself is a very small rural city where most residents own homes and the population has stabilized in recent years after earlier decline. The Iola Community Center serves as the main civic gathering place. Small-town commerce has proven fragile, with businesses including restaurants and grocery stores struggling to remain open. A consolidated rural school campus, rather than schools woven through a downtown, is the school's setting.

A significant development ahead: in May 2026 voters approved a major bond measure to rebuild the high school campus, add career and technical education facilities, and expand the gymnasium. The bond will increase the local property tax burden for homeowners, a material ongoing cost for families relocating into or newly buying in the district. This reflects the district's enrollment growth and aging facilities, a context the school operates within.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 39%

▼ 1 pts below state median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 32%

▼ 9 pts below state median

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 22 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 6 pts above state median

Grade 458%

School 58% · District 58%

▲ 9 pts above state median

Grade 571%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 17 pts above state median

Science

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 50%

▲ 27 pts above state median

This schoolIOLA ISD, 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 3Lower-income29%Higher-income66%37 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income55%Higher-income60%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income85%35 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income81%42 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income24%Higher-income49%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income35%Higher-income30%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income82%47 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income76%37 pp gap