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

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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 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.