Absence
Three-Quarters Back: Iowa Has Recovered 76% from the COVID Absence Surge
Iowa's chronic absenteeism rate has fallen from a 25.6% peak to 15.8%, but 183 of 325 districts remain above their pre-COVID baselines.
Iowa Education News & Data
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District Spotlight
Storm Lake Graduates 54% of Students — Iowa's Lowest Rate Outside Special Programs
Storm Lake's 54% graduation rate is the lowest among Iowa's traditional school districts, reflecting the structural challenges facing a meatpacking town where most students are learning English.
Graduation Rate
Iowa's Graduation Rate Returned to Pre-Pandemic Levels -- But Not for Everyone
Iowa's 88.3% graduation rate for the Class of 2024 exactly matches its pre-pandemic level, but the recovery masks a K-shaped split where Native American, Asian, and English learner students fell further behind.
Enrollment
Iowa's Decline Is Accelerating: Three Years Now Worse Than COVID
Iowa lost 14,710 students in three years, exceeding the COVID crash. The 2026 loss of 7,670 doubled the prior year and 236 of 329 districts shrank.
Demographics
Hispanic Enrollment Dipped for the First Time in 2026
After a decade of growth, Iowa's Hispanic enrollment fell by 197 students. Des Moines and meatpacking towns drove the loss.
Grade Shift
Iowa's Kindergarten Classes Are Shrinking Six Times Faster Than Its Schools
K enrollment fell 13% since 2015 while total enrollment dropped just 1.9%. The pipeline math means Iowa's steepest losses are still ahead.
Demographics
Iowa City Just Became Majority-Minority
Iowa's second-largest school district crossed below 50% white enrollment in 2026. It is one of nine districts to flip in three years.
Enrollment
73% of COVID-Loss Districts Still Declining Five Years Later
Of 223 Iowa districts that lost students during COVID, 164 are now below even their pandemic lows. Iowa is losing students faster than during COVID.
Demographics
Iowa Lost Nearly 50,000 White Students in 11 Years
White enrollment in Iowa public schools fell from 396,263 to 346,681 since 2015, an unbroken 11-year decline that accelerated 3.6x in recent years.
District Spotlight
Waukee Grew 65% While Des Moines Lost 14%
Iowa's suburban donut effect in one metro: Des Moines lost 4,650 students since 2015 while 14 surrounding suburbs gained nearly 14,000.
Demographics
Pacific Islander Students Nearly Quadrupled in Iowa's Meatpacking Towns
Iowa's Pacific Islander enrollment grew 276% since 2015, concentrated in six meatpacking towns. The growth traces to Marshallese families.
Enrollment
Seven of Iowa's Ten Largest Districts at 12-Year Lows
131 Iowa districts hit 12-year enrollment lows in 2026. Among the 10 largest, only Waukee grew while seven scraped their all-time floor.
Demographics
Postville: Iowa's 75% Hispanic School District
Postville's Hispanic share surged from 48.5% to 74.8% in 11 years, making this meatpacking town Iowa's most Hispanic district.
Enrollment
72% of Iowa Districts Lost Students in 2026
236 of 329 Iowa school districts lost enrollment in 2025-26, matching the COVID-year share. Four districts have declined every year for 11 straight years.
District Spotlight
Davenport's 11-Year Freefall: Down 20.6% and Counting
Davenport lost students every year for 11 straight years, shedding 3,325 while neighbors grew. Charters now add pressure.
