Hills Elementary School

Summary:

Hills Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Hills, Iowa, serving grades PK-6 with a student population of 141. The school is part of the Iowa City Community School District, which is ranked 221 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hills Elementary consistently underperforms the Iowa City Community School District and the state of Iowa in both English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency across all grade levels. For example, in 2023-2024, the 6th-grade ELA proficiency rate at Hills Elementary was 52%, compared to 73.1% for the district and 74.5% for the state. The school also has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 67.04% to 75.89% over the past three school years, significantly higher than the surrounding schools. Despite the higher spending per student at Hills Elementary, the school's academic performance remains poor compared to the surrounding schools, such as Lone Tree Elementary School, Ernest Horn Elementary School, and Weber Elementary.

Hills Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking between 461 and 558 out of 567 to 616 schools over the past 10 school years, suggesting that the school is struggling to meet the academic needs of its students. The school's consistent underperformance and the disparities between its metrics and those of the surrounding schools suggest the need for a comprehensive review and implementation of targeted interventions to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

301 Main St
Hills, IA 52235

(319) 688-1105

District: Iowa City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
536^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,970

Students who attend Hills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Northwest Junior High School
High:	West Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 151

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.3%

White:

35.1%

African American:

9.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.8%

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Compare Hills Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Hills Elementary School ranks worse than 96.2% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks last among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.94. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Hills Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Iowa City Community School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (50.3%), White (35.1%), African American (9.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 78.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hills Elementary School is 11.7, which is the 4^th best among 19 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Hills Elementary School employs 12.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Hills Elementary School is $16,970, which is the highest among 19 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Hills Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Iowa City Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Iowa City Community School District 221^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Hills Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	22.30	556^th	626	11.2%
2013	15.64	572^nd	624	8.3%
2014	14.73	546^th	603	9.5%
2015	28.20	498^th	616	19.2%
2016	9.07	558^th	599	6.8%
2017	5.13	543^rd	574	5.4%
2018	7.80	527^th	567	7.1%
2019	31.64	461^st	603	23.5%
2021	13.76	511^th	567	9.9%
2022	24.87	470^th	574	18.1%
2023	15.22	504^th	565	10.8%
2024	4.94	536^th	557	3.8%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Hills Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	237	5	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	248
1989	255	2	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	261
1990	263	2	2	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	271
1991	244	2	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	251
1992	242	6	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	252
1993	220	3	0	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	225
1994	234	8	6	5	1	n/a	n/a	0	254
1995	184	2	7	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	194
1996	184	2	7	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	194
1997	188	5	7	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	200
1998	193	13	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	210
1999	221	14	5	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	245
2000	233	8	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	-17	228
2001	206	10	2	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	229
2002	206	11	3	33	1	n/a	n/a	0	254
2003	206	11	3	33	1	n/a	n/a	0	254
2004	155	10	3	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	194
2005	133	6	2	28	3	n/a	n/a	0	172
2006	106	10	2	33	3	n/a	n/a	0	154
2007	109	5	5	51	2	n/a	n/a	0	172
2008	97	4	5	45	1	n/a	n/a	0	152
2009	99	10	4	40	0	n/a	n/a	0	153
2010	89	13	2	39	0	0	1	0	144
2011	76	11	0	29	0	0	0	0	116
2012	90	10	0	27	0	0	2	0	129
2013	84	11	0	25	0	0	6	0	126
2014	74	8	0	32	0	1	4	0	119
2015	81	11	1	26	0	0	10	0	129
2016	99	14	0	75	0	0	12	0	200
2017	104	20	0	76	0	0	16	0	216
2018	104	18	0	84	0	0	17	0	223
2019	90	17	1	79	0	1	20	0	208
2020	83	14	1	83	0	0	16	0	197
2021	68	18	2	78	0	0	13	0	179
2022	70	23	0	62	0	0	17	0	172
2023	52	18	0	61	0	0	10	0	141
2024	53	14	0	76	0	0	8	0	151

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Hills Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	248	11.2	22.1	23.4
1989	261	11.8	22.1	18
1990	271	12.2	22.2	23.2
1991	251	11.2	22.4	21.5
1992	252	16.0	15.7	27.4
1993	225	15.0	15.0	39.1
1994	254	15.0	16.9	33.1
1995	194	14.0	13.9	27.3
1996	194	14.0	13.9	27.3
1997	200	14.0	14.3	31.5
1998	210	14.0	15.0	31.9
1999	245	13.5	18.1	41.6
2000	228	11.0	20.7	36.3
2001	229	13.0	17.6	39.3
2002	254	19.0	13.4	48.8
2003	254	19.0	13.4	48.8
2004	194	16.1	12.0	55.7
2005	172	13.4	12.8	53.5
2006	154	12.7	12.1	52.6
2007	172	12.9	13.3	54.1
2008	152	12.6	12.1	60.5
2009	153	13.3	11.5	58.2
2010	144	12.8	11.2	58.3
2011	116	12.5	9.2	61.2
2012	129	10.3	12.4	62.8
2013	126	10.0	12.5	59.5
2014	119	10.8	10.9	66.4
2015	129	11.0	11.7	62.8
2016	200	17.0	11.7	75.5
2017	216	20.9	10.3	75.5
2018	223	25.2	8.8	74.9
2019	208	23.2	8.9	77.4
2020	197	20.9	9.3	72.1
2021	179	20.9	8.5	67
2022	172	20.9	8.2	69.8
2023	141	16.4	8.5	75.9
2024	151	12.9	11.7	78.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Hills Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	248	11.2	22.1	23.4
1989	261	11.8	22.1	18
1990	271	12.2	22.2	23.2
1991	251	11.2	22.4	21.5
1992	252	16.0	15.7	27.4
1993	225	15.0	15.0	39.1
1994	254	15.0	16.9	33.1
1995	194	14.0	13.9	27.3
1996	194	14.0	13.9	27.3
1997	200	14.0	14.3	31.5
1998	210	14.0	15.0	31.9
1999	245	13.5	18.1	41.6
2000	228	11.0	20.7	36.3
2001	229	13.0	17.6	39.3
2002	254	19.0	13.4	48.8
2003	254	19.0	13.4	48.8
2004	194	16.1	12.0	55.7
2005	172	13.4	12.8	53.5
2006	154	12.7	12.1	52.6
2007	172	12.9	13.3	54.1
2008	152	12.6	12.1	60.5
2009	153	13.3	11.5	58.2
2010	144	12.8	11.2	58.3
2011	116	12.5	9.2	61.2
2012	129	10.3	12.4	62.8
2013	126	10.0	12.5	59.5
2014	119	10.8	10.9	66.4
2015	129	11.0	11.7	62.8
2016	200	17.0	11.7	75.5
2017	216	20.9	10.3	75.5
2018	223	25.2	8.8	74.9
2019	208	23.2	8.9	77.4
2020	197	20.9	9.3	72.1
2021	179	20.9	8.5	67
2022	172	20.9	8.2	69.8
2023	141	16.4	8.5	75.9
2024	151	12.9	11.7	78.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Hills Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,372 (8.1%)	$15,598 (91.9%)	$16,970

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Hills Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 461^st of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 504^th of 565 Elementary schools	12.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hills Elementary School)	50	21.1	28.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	64.5	63.9	0.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hills Elementary School)	59.4	21.1	38.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	72	70.2	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hills Elementary School)	57.1	72.2	15.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	69.8	76	6.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hills Elementary School)	47.6	66.7	19.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	69.5	72.4	2.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hills Elementary School)	62.1	37.5	24.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	65.9	65	0.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hills Elementary School)	65.5	54.2	11.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	69.4	67.4	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Hills Elementary School)	60	50	10%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	72.6	77	4.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Hills Elementary School)	83.3	50	33.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	78.7	74.6	4.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	208	141	32.2%
African American	17	18	5.9%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	79	61	22.8%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	90	52	42.2%
Two or More Races	20	10	50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	77.4%	75.9%	1.5%

Schools Near Hills Elementary School

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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	301 Main St	Hills	52235	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1105	151	13	11.7	78.8%	53 (35.1%)	14 (9.3%)	76 (50.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.3%)	4.9	536^th of 557 public elementary schools	3.8%		15.2	504^th of 565 public elementary schools	10.8%	32	36.8	44.4	43.8	52.0	52.6	27.8	50.0	24.0	43.8	$16,970	$1,372	$15,598
Highland Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	220 Schnoebelen Street	Riverside	52327	Washington County	Highland Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 648-2821	278	22	12.8	22.3%	263 (94.6%)	1 (0.4%)	13 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	19.1	472^nd of 557 public elementary schools	15.3%		29.4	439^th of 565 public elementary schools	22.3%	33	43.8	55.3	51.1		53.1	68.1	66.0		34.0	$12,857	$486	$12,371
Alexander Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3571 Sycamore St.	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1095	363	29	12.6	70.5%	88 (24.2%)	176 (48.5%)	58 (16.0%)	8 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	30 (8.3%)	17.1	482^nd of 557 public elementary schools	13.5%		26.8	453^rd of 565 public elementary schools	19.8%	29	55.2	59.5	62.8	60.0	51.7	50.0	55.8	50.0	41.9	$15,246	$1,427	$13,819
Grant Wood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1930 Lakeside Dr	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1180	391	31	12.7	72.1%	91 (23.3%)	195 (49.9%)	77 (19.7%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	19 (4.9%)	7.9	520^th of 557 public elementary schools	6.6%		6.7	533^rd of 565 public elementary schools	5.7%	13	42.5	44.9	58.0	52.8	55.0	34.7	42.0	37.7	44.0	$15,646	$1,067	$14,579
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1355 DeForest Avenue	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1165	241	26	9.3	70.1%	81 (33.6%)	66 (27.4%)	71 (29.5%)	5 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.2%)	23.3	462^nd of 557 public elementary schools	17.1%		21.5	474^th of 565 public elementary schools	16.1%	12	58.3	52.4	61.3	66.7	66.7	28.6	64.5	47.6	48.4	$15,834	$1,165	$14,669
Ernest Horn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	600 Koser Ave	Iowa City	52246	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1115	430	36	11.8	59.5%	166 (38.6%)	179 (41.6%)	22 (5.1%)	31 (7.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	30 (7.0%)	37.6	398^th of 557 public elementary schools	28.5%		38.2	411^th of 565 public elementary schools	27.3%	13	65.2	63.6	72.5	52.3	72.7	61.8	64.7	52.3	64.7	$14,000	$687	$13,313
Weber Elementary	Public	K-6	3850 Rohret Road	Iowa City	52246	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1170	542	41	13.3	55.7%	211 (38.9%)	242 (44.6%)	25 (4.6%)	43 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	19 (3.5%)	33.5	424^th of 557 public elementary schools	23.9%		44.1	373^rd of 565 public elementary schools	34.0%	51	47.0	61.4	62.2	78.3	68.2	61.4	57.3	72.3	53.7	$13,378	$562	$12,817
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	K-6	1130 Seymour Ave	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1135	361	31	11.4	54.0%	178 (49.3%)	90 (24.9%)	62 (17.2%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.2%)	37	401^st of 557 public elementary schools	28.0%		40.4	394^th of 565 public elementary schools	30.3%	7	62.5	65.5	66.0	73.2	54.7	56.9	64.0	80.5	60.0	$13,112	$279	$12,833
Robert Lucas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	830 Southlawn Dr	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1140	274	23	11.9	53.3%	128 (46.7%)	94 (34.3%)	29 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.0%)	34.5	420^th of 557 public elementary schools	24.6%		47.6	347^th of 565 public elementary schools	38.6%	73	52.6	51.7	81.3	69.8	55.3	48.3	81.3	48.8	71.9	$14,649	$1,493	$13,155
Herbert Hoover Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1355 Barrington Rd	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1110	515	38	13.3	49.7%	234 (45.4%)	74 (14.4%)	165 (32.0%)	22 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.9%)	55.5	297^th of 557 public elementary schools	46.7%		54.1	292^nd of 565 public elementary schools	48.3%	5	75.0	72.2	78.7	76.6	76.2	70.4	73.8	59.4	63.9

Frequently Asked Questions about Hills Elementary School

How many students attend Hills Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 151 students attended Hills Elementary School.

What district is Hills Elementary School in?

Iowa City Community School District

What schools do graduates of Hills Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Hills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northwest Junior High School
High : West Senior High School

What is the racial makeup of Hills Elementary School?

Students at Hills Elementary School are 50% Hispanic, 35% White, 9% African American, 5% Two or more races.

Is Hills Elementary School a good school?

Hills Elementary School ranks in the bottom 3.8% of Iowa elementary schools.

Rate Hills Elementary School!

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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.