The Iowa Department of Education released their Iowa School Performance Profiles for 2025. Area schools’ scores this year were all in commendable or the high performing range, with no district cited for needs for improvement.
Mount Vernon
Superintendent Matt Leeman said there wasn’t much surprising from this year’s scores for the district.
“We had Director Snow and others from the Iowa Department of Education last week, and I shared that I felt the middle school seems like a great candidate to be an exemplary school, but the absentee data is skewing our scores,” Leeman said.
When it comes to the work-based learning scores for the high school, Leeman said that is working on data that is two years behind.
“At that time we hadn’t been coding everything we are doing at MVHS for work-based learning to be recognized as it could be,” Leeman said. “Moving forward from this past year and on it should be more reflective of our offerings.”
Leeman said that the ag program being developed for 2026-27 may offer more opportunities in the future, but most work-based learning happens during J-Term.
“Overall, I was pleased to see that the high school reached the commendable label, but we all feel as though we are working to reach the next levels as well,” Leeman said.
Mount Vernon High School
Mount Vernon High School had a score of 581.50 out of 900 for 64.61 percent and marked the school as commendable this year. Their score was ahead of the state average of 63.28 percent.
Mount Vernon High School was ahead of the state average in proficiency in science (75 compared to 67.14), proficiency in mathematics (84.68 compared to 70.93), proficiency in English Language Arts (76.58 compared to 73.56), post-secondary readiness index college credit (87. 25 compared to 70.03), four year graduation rate (99.07 compared to 88.27) and five year graduation rate (93.28 compared to 89.88).
The district’s growth in mathematics (43 compared to 50) and English Language Arts (35 compared to 50) were about the same as last year’s scores in that area. While the district’s post-secondary readiness index on work-based learning (18.26 compared to 45) was lower, it showed improvement from last year’s score of 11.9.
Mount Vernon Middle School
Mount Vernon Middle School had a score of 532.79 out of 700 for 76.11 percent and marked as a high performing school. The statewide average was 63.28 percent.
Mount Vernon Middle School was above the statewide average on growth in mathematics (66.5 compared to the state average of 50), growth in English Language Arts (65 compared to 50), proficiency in science (91.59 compared to 67.14), proficiency in mathematics (90.45 compared to 70.93), and proficiency in English Language Arts (92.36 compared to 73.56).
The district remained below the state average on chronic absenteeism (9.72 compared to 15.81).
Washington Elementary
Washington Elementary had a score of 463.99 out of 700 for 66.28 percent and the school is marked as commendable. The statewide average is 63.28 percent.
Washington Elementary scored higher than the state average on growth in English Language Arts (59 compared to 50), proficiency in mathematics (81.58 compared to 70.93) and proficiency in English Language Arts (84.21 compared to 73.56).
Washington Elementary’s growth in mathematics score (45 compared to 50) was very close to last year’s score of 46.
The building was also below the state average for chronic absenteeism (11.2 compared to 15.81) and attendance growth (2.98 compared to 4.96).
Lisbon Elementary School
Lisbon Elementary School remained in the commendable category this school year, and as elementary principal Justin Brown noted they were 0.12 away from improving to high performing.
“I’m not bitter about that at all,” joked Brown.
Brown said that scores that showed improvement the most this year were math growth (which went to 68 this year compared to 46) and math proficiency.
“It feels good to be where we’re at on the profile,” Brown said. “You always want to be slightly better, but many of our proficiency scores are close to the 80th percentile, which is what you want to see.”
Lisbon Elementary had a 436.38 out of 700 score for 69.48 percent this year, ahead of the state average of 63.28 percent.
Lisbon was ahead of the state average in growth in mathematics (68 compared to 50), proficiency in mathematics (86.11 compared to 70.93), and proficiency of English Language Arts (78.24 compared to 73.56).
Lisbon was just slightly below the state average in proficiency of science (66.67 compared to 67.14) and below the state average in growth in English Language Arts (48 compared to 50). The district was also lower than the state average on chronic absenteeism (8.29 compared to 15.81), but Brown noted that was a score you want to be on the low end of in the assessment.
Lisbon High School
Lisbon High School improved to high performing this year from their needs improvement score of last year. Secondary principal Jack Leighty said a lot of that was just reiterating the importance to students of testing, especially at the high school level, and taking them seriously.
“I always knew our students had the capabilities, they were just not taking these tests seriously,” Leighty said.
Leighty said the school went from a 59.93 percent last year to 72.92 percent this year overall.
He noted the change to FAST to help them identify where students were struggling was beneficial, as was setting the tone on the importance of the tests, even for high schoolers.
“We sold students on helping us to represent Lisbon and what our school can do,” Leighty said.
Lisbon’s score this year was 656.24 out of 900 for 72.92 percent overall, and ahead of the statewide average of 63.28 percent.
Lisbon was ahead of the statewide average in growth in mathematics (57 compared to 50), growth in English Language Arts (61.5 compared to 50), proficiency in science (82.76 compared to 67.14), proficiency in mathematics (79.75 compared to 70.93), proficiency in English Language Arts (87.19 compared to 73.56), post-secondary readiness index for college credit (88.24 compared to 70.03), graduation rate of students in 4-years (92.31 compared to 88.27) and graduation rate of students in 5-years (100 percent compared to 89.88).
The only score that Lisbon was behind the statewide average on was post-secondary readiness index of work-based learning (39.62 compared to 45).