Iowa · EDFacts 2021-22

Chronic Absenteeism in Iowa

The 100 schools with the highest chronic absenteeism rates in Iowa, ranked by the share of students missing 15 or more school days a year.

Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools. · Updated August 2026

The picture in one line

The 100 Iowa schools listed here average 56.0% chronic absenteeism, against a national school average of 29.5%, and 73 of them sit above the 50% critical line.

56.0%
average across these 100 schools: 29.5%
national school average: 96.7%
highest rate (Alternative School): 73
schools above 50%

#	School	Enrollment	Status	Absent %
1	Alternative SchoolMason City	91	Critical	96.7%
2	Elizabeth Tate Alt. High SchoolIowa City	180	Critical	86.7%
3	V.I.B.E. Academy (Virtual Institute for Brighter Education)Sioux City	332	Critical	84.9%
4	Madison Elementary SchoolDavenport	318	Critical	84.0%
5	Ruby Van MeterDes Moines	109	Critical	78.9%
6	Marshalltown Virtual AcademyMarshalltown	90	Critical	74.4%
7	Burlington Community High SchoolBurlington	1,016	Critical	73.7%
8	Jefferson Elementary SchoolDavenport	384	Critical	73.2%
9	Ottumwa High SchoolOttumwa	910	Critical	70.3%
10	Hiatt Middle SchoolDes Moines	488	Critical	70.3%
11	Edward Stone Middle SchoolBurlington	452	Critical	67.7%
12	Central High SchoolDavenport	1,288	Critical	67.0%
13	West High SchoolDavenport	1,304	Critical	66.9%
14	Thomas Jefferson Middle SchoolDubuque	402	Critical	65.7%
15	North High SchoolDes Moines	1,428	Critical	65.4%
16	Mccombs Middle SchoolDes Moines	670	Critical	64.0%
17	Hoyt Middle SchoolDes Moines	455	Critical	63.7%
18	North High SchoolDavenport	1,190	Critical	63.5%
19	Harding Middle SchoolDes Moines	603	Critical	63.3%
20	Lincoln Elementary SchoolDubuque	257	Critical	62.3%
21	Hawthorne Elementary SchoolKeokuk	222	Critical	62.2%
22	Hoover High SchoolDes Moines	898	Critical	61.7%
23	Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business AcademyCedar Rapids	484	Critical	59.7%
24	Tri-County Jr/Sr High SchoolThornburg	77	Critical	59.7%
25	East High SchoolWaterloo	1,016	Critical	59.1%
26	Glenwood Senior High SchoolGlenwood	570	Critical	58.8%
27	Webster City High SchoolWebster City	505	Critical	58.6%
28	George Washington High SchoolCedar Rapids	1,182	Critical	57.3%
29	Washington Elementary SchoolCharles City	206	Critical	56.8%
30	Prairie PointCedar Rapids	868	Critical	56.7%
31	Central Middle SchoolWaterloo	469	Critical	56.7%
32	Cattell Elementary SchoolDes Moines	314	Critical	56.4%
33	Early Childhood CenterWest Liberty	89	Critical	56.2%
34	Weeks Middle SchoolDes Moines	688	Critical	55.8%
35	Oak ParkDes Moines	288	Critical	55.6%
36	John Adams Middle SchoolMason City	463	Critical	55.5%
37	Cleveland Elementary SchoolCedar Rapids	254	Critical	55.5%
38	George Washington Carver AcademyWaterloo	455	Critical	55.4%
39	Southeast Polk High SchoolPleasant Hill	1,722	Critical	55.3%
40	Prairie EdgeCedar Rapids	67	Critical	55.2%
41	Marshalltown High SchoolMarshalltown	1,629	Critical	54.5%
42	Thomas Jefferson High SchoolCouncil Bluffs	1,146	Critical	54.5%
43	West Burlington Arnold Jr./Sr. High SchoolWest Burlington	396	Critical	54.5%
44	Howar Middle SchoolCenterville	298	Critical	54.0%
45	Audubon Elementary SchoolDubuque	247	Critical	53.8%
46	Thomas Jefferson High SchoolCedar Rapids	1,501	Critical	53.5%
47	Moulton Elementary SchoolDes Moines	465	Critical	53.5%
48	Monroe Elementary SchoolDavenport	381	Critical	53.5%
49	Mason City High SchoolMason City	891	Critical	53.4%
50	Susan Clark Junior HighMuscatine	544	Critical	53.3%
51	North Hill Elementary SchoolBurlington	268	Critical	53.0%
52	Garfield Elementary SchoolDavenport	393	Critical	52.9%
53	Crestwood High SchoolCresco	346	Critical	52.6%
54	Park Ave Elementary SchoolDes Moines	380	Critical	52.4%
55	Ikm-Manning High SchoolManning	185	Critical	52.4%
56	Fillmore Elementary SchoolDavenport	388	Critical	52.1%
57	Buchanan Elementary SchoolDavenport	357	Critical	52.1%
58	Jackson Elementary SchoolDavenport	322	Critical	51.9%
59	Fort Dodge High SchoolFort Dodge	1,020	Critical	51.8%
60	Wilson Middle SchoolCedar Rapids	422	Critical	51.7%
61	Brubaker Elementary SchoolDes Moines	622	Critical	51.6%
62	Goodrell Middle SchoolDes Moines	511	Critical	51.5%
63	Anamosa High SchoolAnamosa	381	Critical	51.4%
64	Centerville High SchoolCenterville	368	Critical	51.4%
65	Frank L Smart IntermediateDavenport	430	Critical	51.2%
66	Lakeview ElementaryCenterville	498	Critical	50.8%
67	Southwest Valley High SchoolCorning	195	Critical	50.8%
68	Moravia High SchoolMoravia	207	Critical	50.7%
69	Washington Elementary SchoolDavenport	281	Critical	50.5%
70	West High SchoolWaterloo	1,696	Critical	50.4%
71	Evans Middle SchoolOttumwa	684	Critical	50.4%
72	Ames High SchoolAmes	1,440	Critical	50.0%
73	Walcott Elementary SchoolWalcott	150	Critical	50.0%
74	Franklin Middle SchoolCedar Rapids	469	High	49.5%
75	Brody Middle SchoolDes Moines	641	High	49.3%
76	Mckinley Steam AcademyCedar Rapids	426	High	49.3%
77	Red Oak Junior/Senior High SchoolRed Oak	420	High	49.3%
78	Black Hawk Elementary SchoolBurlington	305	High	49.2%
79	Monroe Elementary SchoolDes Moines	341	High	49.0%
80	Tiffin ElementaryTiffin	191	High	48.7%
81	West Middle SchoolSioux City	826	High	48.5%
82	Irving Elementary SchoolWaterloo	353	High	48.4%
83	Newton Senior High SchoolNewton	806	High	48.3%
84	West High SchoolSioux City	1,308	High	48.1%
85	B R Miller Middle SchoolMarshalltown	736	High	47.8%
86	Maple Valley-Anthon Oto High SchoolMapleton	256	High	47.7%
87	Meredith Middle SchoolDes Moines	662	High	47.6%
88	Harrison Elementary SchoolCedar Rapids	277	High	47.3%
89	Garfield Elementary SchoolCedar Rapids	214	High	47.2%
90	Fairfield High SchoolFairfield	442	High	47.1%
91	Howe ElementaryDes Moines	297	High	47.1%
92	Oskaloosa High SchoolOskaloosa	632	High	47.0%
93	Wright Elementary SchoolCedar Rapids	282	High	46.8%
94	Ruthven-Ayrshire High SchoolRuthven	58	High	46.6%
95	Agwsr High SchoolAckley	190	High	46.3%
96	George Washington Middle SchoolDubuque	584	High	46.1%
97	Whiting Senior High SchoolWhiting	61	High	45.9%
98	Muscatine High SchoolMuscatine	1,380	High	45.5%
99	Oelwein High SchoolOelwein	334	High	45.5%
100	Columbus Community High SchoolColumbus Junction	220	High	45.5%

← National Rankings All Iowa Schools Funding Equity

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts, Chronic Absenteeism Data (SY 2021-22). Schools with fewer than 50 students excluded. Percentage = chronically absent students / total enrollment

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.