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B

Central Lee Community School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 3 towns

Serves Donnellson, Montrose and Franklin, and parts of Fort Madison.

Donnellson’s Schools page →

Students
1,311
Schools
3
Spent per student
$11,102
IA $13,713
Students per teacher
18:1
Free or reduced lunch
34%
Debt
$11M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Central Lee Community School District

  • Its letter, B: results better than 57% of Iowa districts
  • Graduation rate 10 pts above the state
  • Spends 19% less per student than the IA average
  • 18 students per teacher
  • Enrollment up 9.3% since 2020–21
  • Debt of $11M, about $8,413 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B: better than 57% of the 326 Iowa school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math close to the state, 2021–22
C+
GraduationFour-year graduation well above the state, class of 2023
A−
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
Donnellson 808Montrose 745Franklin 133

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Donnellson. Grade by grade →

PK–4Central Lee Elementary SchoolThis district
5–8Central Lee Middle SchoolThis district
9–12Central Lee High SchoolThis district

Test scores vs. IA

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency63%
State average 63.8% · 780 students tested
Reading / language arts71%
State average 69.7% · 780 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)95–100%
State average 87.5% · 73 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$11,102 per student · 19% below IA
Spending
Classroom instruction 67%Support & administration 30%Other 4%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 50%State 39%Federal 11%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
1,199’20
1,228’21
1,250’22
1,270’23
1,311’24

Up 9.3% since 2020–21.

Students
White 94%Hispanic 2%Black 2%Two or more races 2%Asian <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

3 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Iowa’s other public schools.

Central Lee Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Donnellson
B−
564 students18:1
Central Lee Middle School
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Donnellson
A−
394 students21:1
Central Lee High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Donnellson
B
353 students15:1

Nearby districts

Compare spending and schools next door.

Nauvoo-Colusa Community Unit School District 325Appanoose Township, Nauvoo Township
$23,639per student
Illini West High School District 307Appanoose Township
$17,108per student

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Iowa.