Mark Twain Elementary

Summary:

Mark Twain Elementary is a public elementary school in Iowa City, Iowa, serving 246 students in grades PK-6 as part of the Iowa City Community School District. The school has a diverse student population, with a racial makeup of 34.15% White, 25.61% African American, 32.11% Hispanic, and 6.91% two or more races, which is more diverse than the surrounding schools in the area.

Academically, Mark Twain Elementary has consistently performed below the district and state averages on the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress). For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 52.4% to 66.7% at Mark Twain, compared to 66-73.1% for the district and 64.2-74.5% for the state. In Mathematics, the proficiency rates at Mark Twain ranged from 28.6% to 66.7%, while the district and state averages were higher. Additionally, the school has a significantly higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at 65.04%, compared to 20-58% at the nearby schools.

Despite the challenges, Mark Twain Elementary has a higher per-student spending of $15,834 and a lower student-teacher ratio ranging from 8.9 to 9.8, compared to the nearby schools, such as Lincoln Elementary, Bohumil Shimek Elementary, and Horace Mann Elementary, which have significantly higher academic performance and ratings from SchoolDigger. This suggests that the district is aware of the school's needs and is attempting to provide additional support, but more targeted interventions may be necessary to improve student outcomes at Mark Twain Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

1355 DeForest Avenue
Iowa City, IA 52240

(319) 688-1165

District: Iowa City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
462^nd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,834

Students who attend Mark Twain Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Southeast Junior High School
High:	Iowa City High School

Student/teacher ratio: 9.8

Number of students: 246

Racial breakdown:

White:

34.1%

Hispanic:

32.1%

African American:

25.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 65%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Mark Twain Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mark Twain Elementary ranks worse than 82.9% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 15^th among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.25. (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 Mark Twain Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details

Compare

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mark Twain Elementary is $15,834, which is the 3^rd highest among 19 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Mark Twain Elementary 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.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Mark Twain Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Mark Twain Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Mark Twain Elementary

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	4.78	611^th	626	2.4%
2013	4.30	609^th	624	2.4%
2014	4.83	581^st	603	3.6%
2015	4.00	594^th	616	3.6%
2016	7.87	567^th	599	5.3%
2017	5.91	541^st	574	5.7%
2018	6.11	537^th	567	5.3%
2019	8.90	574^th	603	4.8%
2021	19.53	481^st	567	15.2%
2022	24.07	474^th	574	17.4%
2023	21.53	474^th	565	16.1%
2024	23.25	462^nd	557	17.1%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, April 25, 2022

Kind teachers, diverse classmates, small classes. Great experience with two kids here! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Mark Twain Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	365	24	8	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	400
1989	336	35	12	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	396
1990	339	25	13	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	389
1991	328	23	15	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	382
1992	347	26	12	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	397
1993	352	31	11	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	404
1994	350	31	6	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	402
1995	314	33	11	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	371
1996	314	33	11	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	371
1997	255	58	8	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	336
1998	235	63	9	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	323
1999	221	78	9	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	323
2000	228	89	10	20	4	n/a	n/a	-15	336
2001	180	80	7	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	283
2002	133	101	8	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	256
2003	133	101	8	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	256
2004	144	143	6	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	315
2005	121	129	8	36	1	n/a	n/a	0	295
2006	95	120	6	49	0	n/a	n/a	0	270
2007	84	100	4	42	2	n/a	n/a	0	232
2008	81	141	1	50	1	n/a	n/a	0	274
2009	101	121	1	43	0	n/a	n/a	0	266
2010	93	103	5	42	0	0	1	0	244
2011	89	94	2	51	0	0	0	0	236
2012	98	88	5	72	1	0	0	0	264
2013	102	83	4	102	0	1	3	0	295
2014	120	122	2	99	0	0	8	0	351
2015	138	144	3	121	1	0	12	0	419
2016	114	60	2	103	0	0	10	0	289
2017	124	87	5	113	0	0	13	0	342
2018	141	95	5	119	0	0	16	0	376
2019	126	110	5	111	0	0	23	0	375
2020	97	52	2	72	1	0	22	0	246
2021	96	51	0	64	0	0	21	0	232
2022	90	46	0	73	0	1	16	1	227
2023	84	63	1	79	0	0	17	2	246

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 Mark Twain Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	400	26.1	15.3	22.5
1989	396	24.2	16.3	18.9
1990	389	24.2	16.0	13.9
1991	382	24.4	15.6	18.6
1992	397	20.0	19.8	19.4
1993	404	20.9	19.3	21
1994	402	21.0	19.1	24.9
1995	371	22.0	16.9	26.4
1996	371	22.0	16.9	26.4
1997	336	19.0	17.7	35.7
1998	323	17.5	18.5	41.2
1999	323	20.0	16.2	46.7
2000	336	15.0	22.4	47
2001	283	19.0	14.9	51.6
2002	256	23.5	10.9	60.2
2003	256	23.5	10.9	60.2
2004	315	26.7	11.8	67.9
2005	295	26.9	11.0	67.8
2006	270	24.7	10.9	68.9
2007	232	25.1	9.2	68.1
2008	274	21.7	12.6	65.7
2009	266	23.8	11.2	66.9
2010	244	21.8	11.1	77
2011	236	23.5	10.0	80.9
2012	264	21.7	12.1	70.8
2013	295	24.0	12.2	66.8
2014	351	28.3	12.3	71.2
2015	419	30.0	13.9	72.3
2016	289	26.0	11.1	75.8
2017	342	29.5	11.5	73.7
2018	376	29.6	12.6	68.9
2019	375	33.6	11.1	77.6
2020	246	24.7	9.9	54.9
2021	232	24.9	9.2	55.6
2022	227	25.4	8.9	58.1
2023	246	24.9	9.8	65

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 Mark Twain Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	400	26.1	15.3	22.5
1989	396	24.2	16.3	18.9
1990	389	24.2	16.0	13.9
1991	382	24.4	15.6	18.6
1992	397	20.0	19.8	19.4
1993	404	20.9	19.3	21
1994	402	21.0	19.1	24.9
1995	371	22.0	16.9	26.4
1996	371	22.0	16.9	26.4
1997	336	19.0	17.7	35.7
1998	323	17.5	18.5	41.2
1999	323	20.0	16.2	46.7
2000	336	15.0	22.4	47
2001	283	19.0	14.9	51.6
2002	256	23.5	10.9	60.2
2003	256	23.5	10.9	60.2
2004	315	26.7	11.8	67.9
2005	295	26.9	11.0	67.8
2006	270	24.7	10.9	68.9
2007	232	25.1	9.2	68.1
2008	274	21.7	12.6	65.7
2009	266	23.8	11.2	66.9
2010	244	21.8	11.1	77
2011	236	23.5	10.0	80.9
2012	264	21.7	12.1	70.8
2013	295	24.0	12.2	66.8
2014	351	28.3	12.3	71.2
2015	419	30.0	13.9	72.3
2016	289	26.0	11.1	75.8
2017	342	29.5	11.5	73.7
2018	376	29.6	12.6	68.9
2019	375	33.6	11.1	77.6
2020	246	24.7	9.9	54.9
2021	232	24.9	9.2	55.6
2022	227	25.4	8.9	58.1
2023	246	24.9	9.8	65

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 Mark Twain Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,165 (7.4%)	$14,669 (92.6%)	$15,834

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Mark Twain Elementary

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 574^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 474^th of 565 Elementary schools	11.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Mark Twain Elementary)	47.4	59.1	11.7%
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 (Mark Twain Elementary)	52.6	59.1	6.5%
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 (Mark Twain Elementary)	40.9	74.2	33.3%
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 (Mark Twain Elementary)	29.5	61.3	31.8%
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 (Mark Twain Elementary)	43.6	59.1	15.5%
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 (Mark Twain Elementary)	25.6	36.4	10.8%
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 (Mark Twain Elementary)	64.5	45	19.5%
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 (Mark Twain Elementary)	51.6	38.1	13.5%
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	375	246	34.4%
African American	110	63	42.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	5	1	80%
Hispanic	111	79	28.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	126	84	33.3%
Two or More Races	23	17	26.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	77.6%	65%	12.6%

Schools Near Mark Twain Elementary

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
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	246	25	9.8	65.0%	84 (34.1%)	63 (25.6%)	79 (32.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.9%)	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
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	385	32	12.1	57.4%	177 (46.0%)	104 (27.0%)	69 (17.9%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (7.3%)	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
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	35	11.1	73.1%	94 (24.0%)	189 (48.3%)	79 (20.2%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	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
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	285	25	11.4	43.5%	139 (48.8%)	88 (30.9%)	29 (10.2%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.8%)	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
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	345	31	11.1	67.5%	81 (23.5%)	163 (47.2%)	56 (16.2%)	10 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	32 (9.3%)	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
Horace Mann Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	521 N Dodge St	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1145	213	17	12.5	35.2%	147 (69.0%)	26 (12.2%)	24 (11.3%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	12 (5.6%)	49.5	333^rd of 557 public elementary schools	40.2%		56.5	271^st of 565 public elementary schools	52.0%	62	69.7	67.7	67.9	81.5	69.7	51.6	71.4	77.8	67.9	$16,025	$649	$15,377
Helen Lemme Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3100 Washington St	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1125	391	25	15.6	34.8%	256 (65.5%)	32 (8.2%)	74 (18.9%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.6%)	60.7	245^th of 557 public elementary schools	56.0%		60.5	243^rd of 565 public elementary schools	57.0%	2	71.1	76.1	76.7	66.7	80.0	80.4	75.0	77.8	65.0	$12,605	$204	$12,400
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	442	36	12.3	58.1%	177 (40.0%)	175 (39.6%)	28 (6.3%)	34 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.1%)	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
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	504	39	13.0	48.2%	232 (46.0%)	87 (17.3%)	138 (27.4%)	24 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.6%)	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
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-6	300 Teeters Court	Iowa City	52246	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1130	223	16	13.9	31.8%	122 (54.7%)	47 (21.1%)	18 (8.1%)	18 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	15 (6.7%)	75.9	105^th of 557 public elementary schools	81.1%		77	108^th of 565 public elementary schools	80.9%	3	70.6	82.6	93.1	84.0	79.4	82.6	89.7	72.0	89.7	$13,259	$202	$13,057

Frequently Asked Questions about Mark Twain Elementary

What schools do graduates of Mark Twain Elementary attend?

Students who attend Mark Twain Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southeast Junior High School
High : Iowa City High School

What is the racial makeup of Mark Twain Elementary?

Students at Mark Twain Elementary are 34% White, 32% Hispanic, 26% African American, 7% Two or more races.

How many students attend Mark Twain Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 246 students attended Mark Twain Elementary.

Is Mark Twain Elementary a good school?

Mark Twain Elementary ranks in the bottom 17.1% of Iowa elementary schools.

What district is Mark Twain Elementary in?

Iowa City Community School District

Rate Mark Twain Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IAIowa Elementary School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Iowa City, IA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Mark Twain Elementary!

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.