Summary:
The city of Newell, Iowa is home to three schools that serve students from elementary through high school: Newell-Fonda Elementary, Newell-Fonda High School, and Newell-Fonda Middle School. These schools, part of the Newell-Fonda Community School District, demonstrate a mix of strengths and areas for potential improvement.
Newell-Fonda Elementary stands out as the top-performing school in the district, with consistently high test scores, particularly in Mathematics. The school's 3rd-5th grade students perform above the state average in English Language Arts and Mathematics, and 91.4% of 3rd graders are proficient or better in Mathematics. In contrast, Newell-Fonda High School has seen a decline in its overall state ranking over the past three years, from 255th in 2021-2022 to 222nd in 2023-2024, despite having some strong performance areas in English Language Arts and Mathematics.
Across the district, the schools face socioeconomic challenges, with relatively high free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 41.46% at Newell-Fonda Middle School to 49.48% at Newell-Fonda Elementary. This suggests that the district may need to explore ways to support students from lower-income families. Additionally, the close proximity and shared district of the three schools present opportunities for collaboration and sharing of best practices, which could help to enhance educational outcomes for all students in the Newell area.
Thank you for your feedback!