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.

Reviewed by PlainSchools Editorial, K12 Schools Editorial Team · June 10, 2026

100.0%
Highest rate: 79
Schools above 50%: 100
Schools ranked

The picture in one line

The 100 Iowa schools listed here average 59.2% chronic absenteeism, against a national school average of 30.9%, and 79 of them sit above the 50% critical line.

59.2%
average across these 100 schools: 30.9%
national school average: 100.0%
highest rate (Expo Alternative Learning Center): 79
schools above 50%

#	School	Enrollment	Status	Absent %
1	Expo Alternative Learning Center Waterloo	561	Critical	100.0%
2	Virtual Campus Des Moines	380	Critical	100.0%
3	Metro High School Cedar Rapids	288	Critical	100.0%
4	Iccsd Pk-12 Online Learning Program IOWA CITY	173	Critical	100.0%
5	Walnut Creek Campus West Des Moines	152	Critical	100.0%
6	West Academy Alternative School Newton	51	Critical	100.0%
7	Alternative School Mason City	91	Critical	96.7%
8	Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School Iowa City	180	Critical	86.7%
9	V.I.B.E. Academy (Virtual Institute for Brighter Education) Sioux City	332	Critical	84.9%
10	Madison Elementary School Davenport	318	Critical	84.0%
11	Ruby Van Meter Des Moines	109	Critical	78.9%
12	Marshalltown Virtual Academy Marshalltown	90	Critical	74.4%
13	Burlington Community High School Burlington	1,016	Critical	73.7%
14	Jefferson Elementary School Davenport	384	Critical	73.2%
15	Ottumwa High School Ottumwa	910	Critical	70.3%
16	Hiatt Middle School Des Moines	488	Critical	70.3%
17	Edward Stone Middle School Burlington	452	Critical	67.7%
18	Central High School Davenport	1,288	Critical	67.0%
19	West High School Davenport	1,304	Critical	66.9%
20	Thomas Jefferson Middle School Dubuque	402	Critical	65.7%
21	North High School Des Moines	1,428	Critical	65.4%
22	Mccombs Middle School Des Moines	670	Critical	64.0%
23	Hoyt Middle School Des Moines	455	Critical	63.7%
24	North High School Davenport	1,190	Critical	63.5%
25	Harding Middle School Des Moines	603	Critical	63.3%
26	Lincoln Elementary School Dubuque	257	Critical	62.3%
27	Hawthorne Elementary School Keokuk	222	Critical	62.2%
28	Hoover High School Des Moines	898	Critical	61.7%
29	Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy Cedar Rapids	484	Critical	59.7%
30	Tri-County Jr/Sr High School Thornburg	77	Critical	59.7%
31	East High School Waterloo	1,016	Critical	59.1%
32	Glenwood Senior High School Glenwood	570	Critical	58.8%
33	Webster City High School Webster City	505	Critical	58.6%
34	George Washington High School Cedar Rapids	1,182	Critical	57.3%
35	Washington Elementary School Charles City	206	Critical	56.8%
36	Prairie Point Cedar Rapids	868	Critical	56.7%
37	Central Middle School Waterloo	469	Critical	56.7%
38	Cattell Elementary School Des Moines	314	Critical	56.4%
39	Early Childhood Center West Liberty	89	Critical	56.2%
40	Weeks Middle School Des Moines	688	Critical	55.8%
41	Oak Park Des Moines	288	Critical	55.6%
42	John Adams Middle School Mason City	463	Critical	55.5%
43	Cleveland Elementary School Cedar Rapids	254	Critical	55.5%
44	George Washington Carver Academy Waterloo	455	Critical	55.4%
45	Southeast Polk High School Pleasant Hill	1,722	Critical	55.3%
46	Prairie Edge Cedar Rapids	67	Critical	55.2%
47	Marshalltown High School Marshalltown	1,629	Critical	54.5%
48	Thomas Jefferson High School Council Bluffs	1,146	Critical	54.5%
49	West Burlington Arnold Jr./Sr. High School West Burlington	396	Critical	54.5%
50	Howar Middle School Centerville	298	Critical	54.0%
51	Audubon Elementary School Dubuque	247	Critical	53.8%
52	Thomas Jefferson High School Cedar Rapids	1,501	Critical	53.5%
53	Moulton Elementary School Des Moines	465	Critical	53.5%
54	Monroe Elementary School Davenport	381	Critical	53.5%
55	Mason City High School Mason City	891	Critical	53.4%
56	Susan Clark Junior High Muscatine	544	Critical	53.3%
57	North Hill Elementary School Burlington	268	Critical	53.0%
58	Garfield Elementary School Davenport	393	Critical	52.9%
59	Crestwood High School Cresco	346	Critical	52.6%
60	Park Ave Elementary School Des Moines	380	Critical	52.4%
61	Ikm-Manning High School Manning	185	Critical	52.4%
62	Fillmore Elementary School Davenport	388	Critical	52.1%
63	Buchanan Elementary School Davenport	357	Critical	52.1%
64	Jackson Elementary School Davenport	322	Critical	51.9%
65	Fort Dodge High School Fort Dodge	1,020	Critical	51.8%
66	Wilson Middle School Cedar Rapids	422	Critical	51.7%
67	Brubaker Elementary School Des Moines	622	Critical	51.6%
68	Goodrell Middle School Des Moines	511	Critical	51.5%
69	Anamosa High School Anamosa	381	Critical	51.4%
70	Centerville High School Centerville	368	Critical	51.4%
71	Frank L Smart Intermediate Davenport	430	Critical	51.2%
72	Lakeview Elementary Centerville	498	Critical	50.8%
73	Southwest Valley High School Corning	195	Critical	50.8%
74	Moravia High School Moravia	207	Critical	50.7%
75	Washington Elementary School Davenport	281	Critical	50.5%
76	West High School Waterloo	1,696	Critical	50.4%
77	Evans Middle School Ottumwa	684	Critical	50.4%
78	Ames High School Ames	1,440	Critical	50.0%
79	Walcott Elementary School Walcott	150	Critical	50.0%
80	Franklin Middle School Cedar Rapids	469	High	49.5%
81	Brody Middle School Des Moines	641	High	49.3%
82	Mckinley Steam Academy Cedar Rapids	426	High	49.3%
83	Red Oak Junior/Senior High School Red Oak	420	High	49.3%
84	Black Hawk Elementary School Burlington	305	High	49.2%
85	Monroe Elementary School Des Moines	341	High	49.0%
86	Tiffin Elementary Tiffin	191	High	48.7%
87	West Middle School Sioux City	826	High	48.5%
88	Irving Elementary School Waterloo	353	High	48.4%
89	Newton Senior High School Newton	806	High	48.3%
90	West High School Sioux City	1,308	High	48.1%
91	B R Miller Middle School Marshalltown	736	High	47.8%
92	Maple Valley-Anthon Oto High School Mapleton	256	High	47.7%
93	Meredith Middle School Des Moines	662	High	47.6%
94	Harrison Elementary School Cedar Rapids	277	High	47.3%
95	Garfield Elementary School Cedar Rapids	214	High	47.2%
96	Fairfield High School Fairfield	442	High	47.1%
97	Howe Elementary Des Moines	297	High	47.1%
98	Oskaloosa High School Oskaloosa	632	High	47.0%
99	Wright Elementary School Cedar Rapids	282	High	46.8%
100	Ruthven-Ayrshire High School Ruthven	58	High	46.6%

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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.