The Best School Districts in Iowa City, Iowa

The Best School Districts in Iowa City, Iowa

Aerial view of a high school in Iowa City, Iowa

Moving to a new town can be a stressful situation. This can be even more stressful if you are moving with kids. Besides all the moving duties, you have to start thinking about where your kid will go to school. Some towns have multiple school districts to choose from and Iowa City, Iowa is one of them. So, we’re here to tell you about the top Iowa City school districts to make this part of your moving process a bit easier.

Iowa City Community School District

The Iowa City Community School District is the main district covering the Iowa City area. The district serves over 14,000 students. This makes it the largest district in the area and the 4th largest district in Iowa.

Location

This district covers 136 square miles right in the heart of Iowa City. They have 30 schools in the city. This includes 21 elementary schools, three junior high schools, and three high schools throughout Iowa City. In addition, they have one online school, one alternative high school, and one transition services center.

Since so many of the schools are in town, a lot of kids walk or bike to school. This cuts down on the district’s busing costs. Only 5,000 students on average use the school buses for transportation.

Academics

This Iowa City school is very well known for its academics. They continuously get high state test scores. 70% of students score at or above the proficiency levels for reading on state testing. 65% score at or above proficiency in math. Both the average SAT and ACT scores are well above the state averages.

The district has a 92% graduation rate. Many graduates go to college at the University of Iowa, which is also located in Iowa City.

Unique Feature

Looking to get your child into extracurricular activities? The Iowa City Community Schools have a very diverse variety of clubs and organizations. All three middle schools and high schools offer clubs for students to join. They have academic clubs such as the Book Club, Model United Nations, and Science Olympiad. There are also clubs for non-school activities such as the Video Game Club, Garden Club, and Robot Fight Club.

No matter which club your child wants to join, chances are the district has it.

Clear Creek Amana Community School District

The Clear Creek Amana Community School District is a rural district on the outskirts of Iowa City. This small district is home to a little over 3,000 students.

Location

This Iowa school district covers a lot of smaller towns out in the country about seven miles west of Iowa City. Students typically live in either Johnson or Iowa County. Some of the towns the district covers include Tiffin, Oxford, and Amana Colonies. The district itself covers 175 square miles.

Since they’re a smaller district they only have a few schools. They have five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. If you live in the west part of Iowa City, this district may be a good option for you.

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Academics

The Clear Creek Amana Community School District scores at or above average for state testing. For both reading and math, 75% of students score at or above the proficiency level for state testing. High school students also score right near the Iowa state average for the ACT and SAT. Clear Creek Amana’s average SAT score is 1270 and the average ACT score is 25.

High school students are also offered to take classes through Kirkwood Community College. These classes are held online or by high school teachers who can teach college classes. This allows students to gain both high school and college credit.

Unique Feature

AmeriCorps group planting a tree.

Being environmentally friendly is a big part of the school district’s beliefs. They have programs within their district to help push eco-friendly projects. The main organization they have is AmeriCorps. This program helps schools focus on being conservation-minded and creating a sustainable future. The district has created many projects so far being a part of this organization. Some of the projects include…

  • Creating an outdoor classroom
  • Adding recycling bins in all of the schools
  • Creating compost bins to help with food waste
  • Adding sustainability lessons to the curriculum
  • Creating a sustainability class and club

West Branch Community School District

The West Branch Community School District is another small rural school district near Iowa City. They have a little over 800 students. Most of their students come from small towns or live out in the country.

Location

This rural school district is just east of Iowa City. It covers small towns in Iowa such as West Branch, Plato, Oasis, and Springdale.

As a small town in Iowa, they only have one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school. All these schools in the district are around 15 miles from Iowa City. This can mean a longer commute to school if you live right in the city.      

Academics

Academically, the district test scores are at or slightly above average. They do well on state testing. 70% of students score at or above proficiency for reading. For math, 68% of students are at or above the proficiency levels.

The school district has a 92% graduation rate. The average ACT score for their high schoolers was 23, which is slightly above the state average. High school students are also able to take AP classes or classes through Kirkwood Community College. Passing these classes helps give them a head start to earning college credits.

Unique Feature

As a parent, there may be times when you want to know everything that is going on at your student’s school. The West Branch Community School district gives you the perfect resource to keep up to date. Every month students write and digitally publish a school newspaper called The Bear. Each issue is over 10 pages of the latest happenings at the school. It includes information about academics, sports, clubs and organizations, and more.

This newspaper is a great way to stay in the loop. All you have to do is check out their digital issue every month.

Lone Tree Community School District

The Lone Tree Community School District is home to around 400 students. This makes it the smallest school district near Iowa City.

Location

This small-town Iowa school district is about 15 minutes southeast of Iowa City. Most students live within the district lines. However, around 20% of the students are from neighboring towns.

This district is made up of only one building. Their elementary, middle, and high schools are located within a single building outside of Iowa City. However, the building is split into two sections. The first section holds the preschoolers through 5th graders. 6th grade through 12th grade is held in the second section of the school.

Academics

The Lone Tree Community School district has a pretty good academic standing. They have a graduation rate of 90% and a student-to-teacher ratio of 14 to 1.

They also hit average benchmarks for state testing. 67% of students score at or above average on the reading portion of state testing. 57% of students receive scores at or above the proficiency levels for math. The district’s average ACT score is 23, which is right near the Iowa state average.

The high school also offers both AP classes and dual enrollment classes for students to take. They offer four different in-person AP classes. In addition, they offer a wide variety of classes through Kirkwood Community College.    

Unique Feature

Lone Tree high school and elementary students working on a project

With all students in one building, students can connect with different grade levels. There are many different programs where the elementary students interact with high schoolers. This allows older students to help guide the younger generations.

Some activities where different grades partner up include…

  • Readings Buddies
  • Homecoming Spirit Week Activities
  • Connections Programs (Big Brother/Big Sister)

Conclusion

Iowa City has a wide variety of different school districts for you to choose from. They have school districts both big and small.

The Iowa City Community School District is perfect if you are looking for a bigger city school district. Right in the heart of Iowa City, it is ideal if you live in town.

The Clear Creek Amana Community School District is nice if you want slightly smaller schools. It covers a lot of the countryside outside of Iowa City.

Both the West Branch and Lone Tree Community School Districts are ideal if you want a small-town school. With less than 1,000 students each, your kids won’t get lost in the crowds.

No matter what you are looking for Iowa City has you covered. There are many different elementary, middle, and high schools near the Iowa City area. All the districts have good academic standings and plenty of things that make each of them unique.

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Jessica is a students at the University of Northern Iowa. She is majoring in English Education with a creative writing minor. In her free time she loves to read books of every genre, write short stories, and spend time with friends. In the future she hopes to share her love for reading and writing with her future students.