Lucas County Schools & Education
Lucas County, Iowa
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
65/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
92.0%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
92.0%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 92.3%
Per-Pupil Spending
$7,971
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,591
School Score
65/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 61/100
State Score Position
#43
of 99 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Lucas County
Measured School Summary
Lucas County performs at an average level with a school score of 65/100 and a solid graduation rate of 92.0%.
Funding Context
At $7,971 per pupil, Lucas County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 7% above the Iowa average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 5% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Lucas 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
4 public schools and 1 district 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
65/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #43 of 99 Iowa counties with school score data.
Completion
92.0%
0.3 pts below the state average
Funding context
$7,971
$380 above the state average
School coverage
4
1 district represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Lucas County has 4 public schools across 1 district, 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 Lucas 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.
Small-system county
Lucas County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.
State position
#43
of 99 Iowa counties with school score data. The county score is 4 points above 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.
Chariton Comm School District
Elementary to high school visible
1,215 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Chariton Comm School District is the largest listed district slice, with 4 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 Lucas County?
Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Chariton Community School District Consolidates All Lucas County Students
Education data brief for Lucas County, Iowa.
Lucas County operates under a single-district structure, with the Chariton Community School District overseeing all 1,215 students in the county. This consolidated district manages four schools, including Chariton High School, which is the county's largest with 392 students. The county per-pupil expenditure is $7,971, which is about $380 higher than the Iowa state average of $7,591 but remains approximately $5,000 below the national average of $13,000. Data shows a composite school score of 65.0, surpassing the national median of 50.0 and the state average of 61.3. The graduation rate is 92.0%, nearly matching the state baseline of 92.3% and exceeding the national benchmark of 87.0%. The school locale is primarily classified as town-based, with three of the four schools fitting that description. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
4
in Lucas County
Reported Enrollment
1,215
4 schools reporting
School Districts
1
district
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
1 School District in Lucas County
Chariton Comm School District
4 Public Schools in Lucas 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 4 of 4 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chariton High School | Record | Chariton Comm School District | Chariton, 50049Town: Remote | 9–12 | High | 392 |
| Chariton Middle School | Record | Chariton Comm School District | Chariton, 50049Rural: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 285 |
| Columbus Elementary School | Record | Chariton Comm School District | Chariton, 50049Town: Remote | KG–2 | Primary | 284 |
| Van Allen Elementary School | Record | Chariton Comm School District | Chariton, 50049Town: Remote | 3–5 | Primary | 254 |
Chariton High School
Chariton Comm School District
Chariton, 50049 / Town: Remote
Chariton Middle School
Chariton Comm School District
Chariton, 50049 / Rural: Fringe
Columbus Elementary School
Chariton Comm School District
Chariton, 50049 / Town: Remote
Van Allen Elementary School
Chariton Comm School District
Chariton, 50049 / Town: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$7,971
State avg $7,591
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Lucas 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 Lucas County?
What is the graduation rate in Lucas County?
How much does Lucas County spend per student?
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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.