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:
536th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $16,970 Help


Students who attend Hills Elementary School usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio:  8.5 Help
Number of students:  141

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
43.3%
White:
36.9%
African American:
12.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  75.9% Help


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 Compare Hills Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
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...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 4.94. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Hills Elementary School has the smallest elementary school student body size in the Iowa City Community School District. Student population at Hills Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (43.3%), White (36.9%), African American (12.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 75.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Hills Elementary School is 8.5, which is the lowest among 19 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Hills Elementary School employs 16.4 full-time teachers.
Finance
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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 221st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Hills Elementary School

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

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

Hills Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    






Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Hills Elementary School

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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

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

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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

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

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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

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

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal 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 461st of 603 Elementary schoolsRanks 504th 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)5021.1
 28.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)64.563.9
 0.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)65.366.3
 1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hills Elementary School)59.421.1
 38.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)7270.2
 1.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)71.775.3
 3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hills Elementary School)57.172.2
 15.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)69.876
 6.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)70.573.1
 2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hills Elementary School)47.666.7
 19.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)69.572.4
 2.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)72.572.9
 0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hills Elementary School)62.137.5
 24.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)65.965
 0.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)67.368.3
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hills Elementary School)65.554.2
 11.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)69.467.4
 2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)69.471.3
 1.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Hills Elementary School)6050
 10%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)72.677
 4.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)67.572.7
 5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Hills Elementary School)83.350
 33.3%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)78.774.6
 4.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)69.469.9
 0.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students208141
 32.2%
African American1718
 5.9%
American Indian00
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic7961
 22.8%
Pacific Islander10
 100%
White9052
 42.2%
Two or More Races2010
 50%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients77.4%75.9%
 1.5%


Schools Near Hills Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Hills Elementary School

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

In the 2022-23 school year, 141 students attended Hills Elementary School.

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

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

Students at Hills Elementary School are 43% Hispanic, 37% White, 13% African American, 7% Two or more races.


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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.





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