Best Public Schools in Belle Plaine, IA

The city of Belle Plaine, Iowa is home to two schools: Longfellow Elementary School and Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School, both part of the Belle Plaine Community School District. These schools demonstrate strong academic performance, with Longfellow Elementary consistently exceeding state averages in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science, and Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School excelling in English Language Arts.

Longfellow Elementary School stands out for its impressive test scores, with 94.7% of 6th-grade students proficient in English Language Arts and 89.5% proficient in Mathematics in the 2023-2024 school year. The school also boasts a strong 5th-grade Science performance, with 71.9% of students scoring proficient, well above the state average of 59.6%. Additionally, Longfellow Elementary maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 14.6, which may contribute to its academic success.

While Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School has a higher student-teacher ratio of 9.7, it also demonstrates impressive performance, particularly in English Language Arts, where 10th-grade students scored 85.7% proficient, significantly higher than the state average of 73.8%. Both schools serve diverse student populations, with Longfellow Elementary having a more diverse racial makeup compared to Belle Plaine Junior/Senior High School. Despite differences in socioeconomic factors, such as free and reduced-price lunch rates, these schools have found ways to deliver strong educational outcomes, highlighting the dedication and hard work of their school communities.