Best Public Schools in Spirit Lake, IA

Summary:

The Spirit Lake Community School District in Iowa consists of three schools: Spirit Lake Elementary School, Spirit Lake High School, and Spirit Lake Middle School. The district serves a total of 1,304 students, with the elementary school being the standout performer.

Spirit Lake Elementary School consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, earning a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger in 2021-2022 and placing 58th out of 557 schools in the 2023-2024 school year. The school's test scores are significantly higher than the state averages, with over 80% of students proficient or better in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. In contrast, Spirit Lake High School appears to be the weakest performer in the district, with lower test scores and a lower statewide ranking compared to the elementary and middle schools.

The district's schools have a predominantly white student population, ranging from 87.71% at the middle school to 89.49% at the high school. The elementary school has the highest free and reduced lunch rate at 28.49%, indicating a relatively affluent student population. The high school has the highest spending per student at $14,475, but this does not necessarily translate to the highest performance, suggesting that factors other than just funding, such as teaching quality, curriculum, and school leadership, may play a significant role in student outcomes.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)									ISASP Mathematics (2024)									ISASP Science (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Spirit Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	709 28th Street	Spirit Lake	51360	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 336-2822	568	37	15.2	25.5%	496 (87.3%)	18 (3.2%)	30 (5.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (3.3%)	82.1	58^th of 557 public elementary schools	89.6%		77.5	106^th of 565 public elementary schools	81.2%	48	83.9	93.1								90.7	77.2											$11,763	$432	$11,331
Spirit Lake High School	Public	9-12	2701 Hill Ave	Spirit Lake	51360	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 336-3707	396	25	16.0	21.5%	350 (88.4%)	5 (1.3%)	18 (4.5%)	5 (1.3%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	14 (3.5%)	48.5	204^th of 338 public high schools	39.6%		59.2	137^th of 336 public high schools	59.2%	67							78.0	68.9	70.2							72.5	67.8	69.5			52.2	$14,475	$248	$14,227
Spirit Lake Middle School	Public	5-8	609 28th St	Spirit Lake	51360	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 336-1370	364	24	15.3	24.2%	315 (86.5%)	2 (0.5%)	28 (7.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.9%)	72.3	73^rd of 337 public middle schools	78.3%		69.3	90^th of 334 public middle schools	73.1%	17			68.3	84.8	79.1	83.7						83.5	81.5	76.7	87.0				65.9	81.5		$12,257	$62	$12,195

Cities Near Spirit Lake

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Milford	6.72 mi	3	137^th
Lake Park	9.71 mi	2	174^th
Terril	11.23 mi	1
Estherville	15.52 mi	3	311^th
Spencer	18.4 mi	5	175^th

See the top IA Iowa cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.