Alternative School

Summary:

Alternative School is a public high school located in Mason City, Iowa, serving grades 9-12 with a total enrollment of 94 students. The school is part of the Mason City Community School District, which is ranked 265 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Alternative School consistently performs below the state and district averages in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores for both English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in 2023-2024, only 31.8% of 11th-grade students at Alternative School were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 51.7% for the Mason City Community School District and 65.7% for the state of Iowa. The school's performance has been consistently low, with its statewide ranking ranging from 257 to 333 out of 322-351 Iowa high schools over the past decade, and it has maintained a 0 or 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

The nearby schools, such as Mason City High School, Mason City Virtual Academy, and St Ansgar High School, generally perform better academically and have higher statewide rankings compared to Alternative School. St Ansgar High School, in particular, stands out as a high-performing school, ranking 27th out of 338 Iowa high schools in 2023-2024 and consistently achieving proficiency rates well above the state averages in ISASP tests.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 19 N. Illinois Ave.
       Mason City, IA  50401


(641) 421-4426

District: Mason City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
307th of 338 Iowa High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,600 Help


Student/teacher ratio:  15.9 Help
Number of students:  94

Racial breakdown:

White:
78.7%
Hispanic:
13.8%
African American:
6.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  61.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Alternative School ranks worse than 90.8% of high schools in Iowa. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.64. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (78.7%), Hispanic (13.8%), African American (6.4%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 61.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Alternative School is 15.9. (See more...)
Help
Compare Alternative School employs 5.9 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Alternative School is $15,600.
Schooldigger Rankings:

Alternative School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks Alternative School 307th of 338 Iowa public high schools. (See Alternative School in the ranking list.)

Mason City Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Mason City Community School District 265th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Alternative School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools IA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 16.18 322nd 351 8.3%
2013 9.74 333rd 351 5.1%
2014 29.65 260th 322 19.3%
2015 31.54 257th 324 20.7%
2017 13.95 299th 325 8.0%
2019 1.69 317th 327 3.1%
2021 1.66 319th 327 2.4%
2022 11.47 306th 332 7.8%
2023 5.53 321st 336 4.5%
2024 14.64 307th 338 9.2%
See the entire list of Iowa High School Rankings!

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

Alternative 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 Alternative School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 46 1 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 51
1989 46 3 1 4 0 n/a n/a 0 54
1990 43 3 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 49
1991 45 2 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 51
1992 49 2 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 55
1993 48 0 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 49
1994 47 0 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 51
1995 49 3 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 55
1996 49 3 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 55
1997 48 3 0 5 0 n/a n/a 0 56
1998 59 3 1 4 0 n/a n/a 0 67
1999 63 1 0 5 0 n/a n/a 0 69
2000 56 3 0 6 0 n/a n/a 0 65
2001 59 7 2 6 0 n/a n/a 0 74
2002 45 7 1 8 0 n/a n/a 0 61
2003 45 7 1 8 0 n/a n/a 0 61
2004 74 11 1 7 1 n/a n/a 0 94
2005 70 10 0 12 1 n/a n/a 0 93
2006 46 5 1 10 1 n/a n/a 0 63
2007 62 4 1 10 2 n/a n/a 0 79
2008 80 5 0 9 1 n/a n/a 0 95
2009 63 3 0 7 0 n/a n/a 0 73
2010 89 5 0 5 1 0 1 0 101
2011 87 9 0 13 1 0 1 0 111
2012 85 6 0 14 0 0 0 0 105
2013 67 8 0 12 0 0 1 0 88
2014 71 6 2 10 0 0 1 0 90
2015 57 6 1 14 0 1 1 0 80
2016 68 6 1 9 1 0 0 0 85
2017 59 5 0 13 1 0 0 0 78
2018 64 6 0 13 1 0 0 0 84
2019 55 4 0 12 0 0 0 0 71
2020 66 10 0 10 1 0 0 0 87
2021 77 4 0 11 1 0 0 0 93
2022 63 5 0 17 0 0 1 0 86
2023 74 6 0 13 1 0 0 0 94

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 Alternative School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 51 5.0 10.2 n/a
1989 54 0.5 108.0 0
1990 49 5.0 9.8 0
1991 51 5.0 10.2 11.8
1992 55 5.0 11.0 12.7
1993 49 5.0 9.8 12.2
1994 51 5.0 10.2 13.7
1995 55 6.0 9.2 0
1996 55 6.0 9.2 0
1997 56 6.1 9.2 12.5
1998 67 6.0 11.2 11.9
1999 69 6.0 11.5 20.3
2000 65 6.0 10.8 20
2001 74 6.0 12.3 47.3
2002 61 6.5 9.4 63.9
2003 61 6.5 9.4 63.9
2004 94 6.0 15.7 37.2
2005 93 6.1 15.2 41.9
2006 63 7.0 9.0 54
2007 79 7.0 11.3 49.4
2008 95 8.0 11.9 52.6
2009 73 8.0 9.1 72.6
2010 101 8.1 12.4 66.3
2011 111 6.4 17.3 62.2
2012 105 6.4 16.4 75.2
2013 88 5.4 16.2 72.7
2014 90 5.4 16.6 63.3
2015 80 5.0 16.0 72.5
2016 85 5.0 17.0 63.5
2017 78 5.4 14.4 76.9
2018 84 6.2 13.5 67.9
2019 71 5.8 12.2 80.3
2020 87 5.8 15.0 75.9
2021 93 5.8 16.0 77.4
2022 86 5.8 14.8 58.1
2023 94 5.9 15.9 61.7

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 Alternative School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 51 5.0 10.2 n/a
1989 54 0.5 108.0 0
1990 49 5.0 9.8 0
1991 51 5.0 10.2 11.8
1992 55 5.0 11.0 12.7
1993 49 5.0 9.8 12.2
1994 51 5.0 10.2 13.7
1995 55 6.0 9.2 0
1996 55 6.0 9.2 0
1997 56 6.1 9.2 12.5
1998 67 6.0 11.2 11.9
1999 69 6.0 11.5 20.3
2000 65 6.0 10.8 20
2001 74 6.0 12.3 47.3
2002 61 6.5 9.4 63.9
2003 61 6.5 9.4 63.9
2004 94 6.0 15.7 37.2
2005 93 6.1 15.2 41.9
2006 63 7.0 9.0 54
2007 79 7.0 11.3 49.4
2008 95 8.0 11.9 52.6
2009 73 8.0 9.1 72.6
2010 101 8.1 12.4 66.3
2011 111 6.4 17.3 62.2
2012 105 6.4 16.4 75.2
2013 88 5.4 16.2 72.7
2014 90 5.4 16.6 63.3
2015 80 5.0 16.0 72.5
2016 85 5.0 17.0 63.5
2017 78 5.4 14.4 76.9
2018 84 6.2 13.5 67.9
2019 71 5.8 12.2 80.3
2020 87 5.8 15.0 75.9
2021 93 5.8 16.0 77.4
2022 86 5.8 14.8 58.1
2023 94 5.9 15.9 61.7

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 Alternative School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $305 (2.0%) $15,294 (98.0%) $15,600

Data source: Iowa Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Alternative 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 317th of 327 High schoolsRanks 321st of 336 High schools
 1.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts (Alternative School)46.753.6
 6.9%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Mason City Community School District)66.260.5
 5.7%
   11th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)71.468.7
 2.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Alternative School)33.328.6
 4.7%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Mason City Community School District)61.155.8
 5.3%
   11th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)66.967.3
 0.4%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students7194
 32.4%
African American46
 50%
American Indian01
Asian00
Hispanic1213
 8.3%
Pacific Islander00
White5574
 34.5%
Two or More Races00
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients80.3%61.7%
 18.6%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Alternative School

Students at Alternative School are 79% White, 14% Hispanic, 6% African American, 1% American Indian.

Alternative School ranks in the bottom 9.2% of Iowa high schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 94 students attended Alternative 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.





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