(KIWA) — Three northwest Iowa schools are ranked among Iowa’s top 10 in the 2027 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.
Sheldon’s East Elementary ranks fourth among 599 elementary schools evaluated in Iowa. MOC-Floyd Valley Middle School ranks ninth, and Sheldon Middle School ranks 10th among 367 middle schools statewide.
The rankings evaluate student performance in mathematics and reading/language arts, while considering student demographic context to measure overall achievement and school effectiveness. Student-teacher ratios are used to break ties in overall scores.
Area Elementary Schools Recognized
East Elementary’s fourth-place ranking puts it behind only two schools in Bettendorf and one in the Mount Pleasant Community School District.
George-Little Rock Elementary in Little Rock also places among Iowa’s top 20, ranking 14th.
Several other northwest Iowa elementary schools are ranked among the state’s top 100:
•Kinsey Elementary in Sioux Center — 32nd.
•Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary — 38th.
•Boyden-Hull Elementary in Boyden — 47th.
•Central Lyon Elementary — 57th.
•Rock Valley Elementary — 69th.
MOC-Floyd Valley, Sheldon Lead Area Middle Schools
MOC-Floyd Valley and Sheldon lead the area’s middle school rankings with their ninth- and 10th-place finishes.
South O’Brien Middle School follows closely at 13th statewide. Rock Valley Middle School ranks 25th, and Central Lyon ranks 31st.
Other area middle schools placing among Iowa’s top 100 include:
•Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School in Sanborn — 42nd.
•Sioux Center Middle School — 57th.
•West Lyon — 79th.
•West Sioux — 87th.
Additional area schools place outside the top 100 in both categories.
Nationally, the report includes approximately 46,000 public elementary schools and more than 24,000 middle schools. Schools are ranked at the state and district levels, with separate state rankings for charter schools.
The full rankings and additional information are available through U.S. News & World Report.
