Fisher, Franklin, Hoglan, and Woodbury Elementary School have been ranked in the top 40% in the state of Iowa among the 2025 Best Elementary School rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
U.S. News & World Report rankings include more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools across the country. Schools are ranked at the state and district level, with Best Charter Schools and Best Magnet Schools ranked as stand-alone categories.
Hoglan Elementary School was ranked 122nd, Fisher Elementary School 159th, Woodbury Elementary School 223rd, and Franklin Elementary School 227th in the state of Iowa.
“We are extraordinarily proud of our staff and students at each of the four elementary schools that have positioned themselves within the top 40% in the State of Iowa,” said Superintendent Dr. Theron Schutte. “Quality teaching and learning happens at all of our schools and we take great pride in providing a high quality teaching and learning experience for all students, regardless which of the six elementary schools they attend. Our goal will be to have all six elementary schools recognized next year.”
The US News & World Report’s methodology focuses on state assessments of students who were proficient or above proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts while accounting for student backgrounds, achievement in core subjects, and how well schools are educating their students. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.
The 2025 Best Elementary and Best Middle Schools rankings are based on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. Parents, educators and students can see how these four schools compare to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated on USNews.com.
Individuals with questions about the recognition can contact Director of Instruction Shauna Smith.