Buena Vista County Schools & Education
Buena Vista County, Iowa
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
27/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
72.2%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
72.2%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 92.3%
Per-Pupil Spending
$7,516
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,591
School Score
27/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 61/100
State Score Position
#99
of 99 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Buena Vista County
Measured School Summary
Buena Vista County faces educational challenges with a school score of 27/100 and a graduation rate of 72.2%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $7,516 per pupil, Buena Vista County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 56% below the Iowa average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 20.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Buena Vista County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
15 public schools and 5 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
27/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #99 of 99 Iowa counties with school score data.
Completion
72.2%
20.1 pts below the state average
Funding context
$7,516
$75 below the state average
School coverage
15
5 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Buena Vista County has 15 public schools across 5 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Buena Vista County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Review-carefully county
Buena Vista County has a lower measured county-level school signal. Use the school table to look for specific districts or grade bands that may differ from the county average.
State position
#99
of 99 Iowa counties with school score data. The county score is 34 points below the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Storm Lake Comm School District
Elementary to high school visible
2,794 students
6 listed schools in this county slice.
Sioux Central Comm School District
Elementary to high school visible
656 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Newell-Fonda Comm School District
Elementary to high school visible
578 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Alta-Aurelia Comm School District
Elementary and high visible
443 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Storm Lake Comm School District is the largest listed district slice, with 6 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Buena Vista County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Buena Vista County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Education Overview
About Schools in Buena Vista County, Iowa
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
A Hub for Regional Learning
Buena Vista County manages 15 public schools and five districts, educating a total of 4,585 students. The system includes a balanced mix of six elementary, three middle, and five high schools.
Storm Lake's Central Role
Storm Lake Community School District is the dominant force in the county, educating 2,794 students across six schools. Notably, the county hosts one charter school, which accounts for nearly 7% of its total school inventory.
Town and Rural Dynamics
With an average school size of 306, the county offers a mix of 10 rural schools and five town-based schools. Storm Lake Elementary is the largest at 814 students, while districts like Sioux Central offer a more rural, smaller-school feel.
School Overview
Total Schools
15
in Buena Vista County
Reported Enrollment
4,585
15 schools reporting
School Districts
5
districts
Charter Schools
1
7% of total
School Level Breakdown
5 School Districts in Buena Vista County
Storm Lake Comm School District
Alta-Aurelia Comm School District
Sioux Central Comm School District
Newell-Fonda Comm School District
Albert City-Truesdale Comm School District
15 Public Schools in Buena Vista County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 15 of 15 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storm Lake Elementary | Record | Storm Lake Comm School District | Storm Lake, 50588Town: Remote | 1–4 | Primary | 814 |
| Storm Lake High School | Record | Storm Lake Comm School District | Storm Lake, 50588Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 793 |
| Storm Lake Middle School | Record | Storm Lake Comm School District | Storm Lake, 50588Town: Remote | 5–8 | Middle | 787 |
| Newell-Fonda Elementary | Record | Newell-Fonda Comm School District | Newell, 50568Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 289 |
| Sioux Central High School | Record | Sioux Central Comm School District | Sioux Rapids, 50585Rural: Remote | 9–12 | High | 274 |
| Storm Lake Early Elementary School | Record | Storm Lake Comm School District | Storm Lake, 50588Rural: Fringe | KG | Primary | 245 |
| Sioux Central Elementary School | Record | Sioux Central Comm School District | Sioux Rapids, 50585Rural: Remote | PK–5 | Primary | 241 |
| Alta Elementary School | Record | Alta-Aurelia Comm School District | Alta, 51002Rural: Fringe | PK–3 | Primary | 237 |
| Alta-Aurelia High School | Record | Alta-Aurelia Comm School District | Alta, 51002Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 206 |
| Newell-Fonda High School | Record | Newell-Fonda Comm School District | Newell, 50568Rural: Distant | 9–12 | High | 166 |
| Sioux Central Middle School | Record | Sioux Central Comm School District | Sioux Rapids, 50585Rural: Remote | 6–8 | Middle | 141 |
| Newell-Fonda Middle Sch. | Record | Newell-Fonda Comm School District | Newell, 50568Rural: Distant | 6–8 | Middle | 123 |
| Albert City-Truesdale Elementary School | Record | Albert City-Truesdale Comm School District | Albert City, 50510Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 114 |
| East Early Childhood Ctr | Record | Storm Lake Comm School District | Storm Lake, 50588Town: Remote | PK | Other | 101 |
| St Lake/IA Cntrl/Buena Vista Early College HS | Record | Storm Lake Comm School District | Storm Lake, 50588Town: Remote | 12 | Charter | 54 |
Storm Lake Elementary
Storm Lake Comm School District
Storm Lake, 50588 / Town: Remote
Storm Lake High School
Storm Lake Comm School District
Storm Lake, 50588 / Town: Remote
Storm Lake Middle School
Storm Lake Comm School District
Storm Lake, 50588 / Town: Remote
Newell-Fonda Elementary
Newell-Fonda Comm School District
Newell, 50568 / Rural: Distant
Sioux Central High School
Sioux Central Comm School District
Sioux Rapids, 50585 / Rural: Remote
Storm Lake Early Elementary School
Storm Lake Comm School District
Storm Lake, 50588 / Rural: Fringe
Sioux Central Elementary School
Sioux Central Comm School District
Sioux Rapids, 50585 / Rural: Remote
Alta Elementary School
Alta-Aurelia Comm School District
Alta, 51002 / Rural: Fringe
Alta-Aurelia High School
Alta-Aurelia Comm School District
Alta, 51002 / Rural: Fringe
Newell-Fonda High School
Newell-Fonda Comm School District
Newell, 50568 / Rural: Distant
Sioux Central Middle School
Sioux Central Comm School District
Sioux Rapids, 50585 / Rural: Remote
Newell-Fonda Middle Sch.
Newell-Fonda Comm School District
Newell, 50568 / Rural: Distant
Albert City-Truesdale Elementary School
Albert City-Truesdale Comm School District
Albert City, 50510 / Rural: Remote
East Early Childhood Ctr
Storm Lake Comm School District
Storm Lake, 50588 / Town: Remote
St Lake/IA Cntrl/Buena Vista Early College HS
Storm Lake Comm School District
Storm Lake, 50588 / Town: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$7,516
State avg $7,591
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Buena Vista County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Iowa counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Iowa?
How should I read the school score in Buena Vista County?
What is the graduation rate in Buena Vista County?
How much does Buena Vista County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Buena Vista County, Iowa — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Buena Vista County, Iowa?
Buena Vista County manages 15 public schools and five districts, educating a total of 4,585 students. The system includes a balanced mix of six elementary, three middle, and five high schools.
What are the major school districts in Buena Vista County, Iowa?
Storm Lake Community School District is the dominant force in the county, educating 2,794 students across six schools. Notably, the county hosts one charter school, which accounts for nearly 7% of its total school inventory.
What is the school experience like in Buena Vista County?
With an average school size of 306, the county offers a mix of 10 rural schools and five town-based schools. Storm Lake Elementary is the largest at 814 students, while districts like Sioux Central offer a more rural, smaller-school feel.
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.