Council Bluffs Community School District

The Council Bluffs Community School District in Iowa serves 14 schools, including 10 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools. The district faces significant disparities in academic performance across its schools, with a few standout institutions like College View Elementary and Hoover Elementary consistently outperforming the district and state averages on standardized tests. In contrast, the high schools in the district struggle, with proficiency rates well below the state level.

The data reveals a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and academic achievement, with schools serving higher percentages of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch tending to have lower test scores. This suggests equity concerns within the district, as the stark differences in performance between schools raise questions about access to quality education. Strategic resource allocation, with higher spending and lower student-teacher ratios in the lower-performing schools, could be a lever for improving outcomes across the district.

Among the standout schools, Gerald W Kirn Middle School is the highest-performing middle school, outperforming the district and state on English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science assessments. The data indicates that the district's spending per student, which ranges from $17,313 to $20,698, is correlated with academic performance, with the higher-spending schools tending to have better results.