Elementary Schools in PCM Community School District

The PCM Community School District in Iowa has two elementary schools serving grades K-5: Prairie City Elementary School and Monroe Elementary School. Based on the available data, Prairie City Elementary School stands out as the higher-performing school in the district.

Prairie City Elementary School has consistently ranked in the top 20% of Iowa elementary schools for the past three years, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's students outperform the district and state averages in both English Language Arts and Mathematics for grades 3-5. For example, 81.3% of 4th graders at Prairie City Elementary were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 72.7% statewide. In contrast, Monroe Elementary School has struggled, ranking in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools with a 2-star rating and lagging behind the district and state averages in test scores, particularly in English Language Arts.

While the district as a whole has a predominantly white student population, Prairie City Elementary School has a more diverse makeup, with 3.44% Hispanic students and 3.44% students of two or more races. The data also shows that Prairie City Elementary School spends more per student ($14,507) compared to Monroe Elementary School ($13,431), which may contribute to its stronger academic outcomes. Understanding the factors behind the performance gap between these two schools and ensuring equitable access to resources should be a priority for the district.