Mills County Schools & Education
Mills County, Iowa
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
46/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
90.7%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
90.7%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 92.3%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,889
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,591
School Score
46/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 61/100
State Score Position
#91
of 99 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Mills County
Measured School Summary
Mills County performs at an average level with a school score of 46/100 and a solid graduation rate of 90.7%.
Funding Context
At $6,889 per pupil, Mills County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 25% below the Iowa average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 1.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Mills 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
6 public schools and 2 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
46/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #91 of 99 Iowa counties with school score data.
Completion
90.7%
1.6 pts below the state average
Funding context
$6,889
$702 below the state average
School coverage
6
2 districts 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
Mills County has 6 public schools across 2 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 Mills 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
Mills 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
#91
of 99 Iowa counties with school score data. The county score is 15 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.
Glenwood Comm School District
Elementary to high school visible
2,071 students
4 listed schools in this county slice.
East Mills Comm School District
Elementary and high visible
447 students
2 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Glenwood 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 Mills County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Mills County district systems?
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
Mills County Per-Pupil Spending Trails State and National Averages
Education data brief for Mills County, Iowa.
Mills County reports a per-pupil expenditure of $6,889, a figure notably lower than the Iowa state average of $7,591 and approximately 47% below the national average of $13,000. This spending level occurs within a secondary education landscape where the graduation rate is 90.7%, which sits above the national average of 87.0% but falls behind the Iowa state average of 92.3%. The county's school score of 45.6 also trails both the state average of 61.3 and the national median of 50.0. NCES directory data indicates that public education in the county is managed by two school districts, with the Glenwood Community School District being the largest, enrolling 2,071 of the county's 2,518 total students across four schools. The district includes Glenwood Senior High School, the largest facility in the county with 600 students. For further information, 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
6
in Mills County
Reported Enrollment
2,518
6 schools reporting
School Districts
2
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
2 School Districts in Mills County
Glenwood Comm School District
East Mills Comm School District
6 Public Schools in Mills 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 6 of 6 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenwood Senior High School | Record | Glenwood Comm School District | Glenwood, 51534Town: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 600 |
| Northeast Elementary School | Record | Glenwood Comm School District | Glenwood, 51534Town: Fringe | PK–2 | Primary | 599 |
| Glenwood Middle School | Record | Glenwood Comm School District | Glenwood, 51534Town: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 451 |
| West Elementary School | Record | Glenwood Comm School District | Glenwood, 51534Town: Fringe | 3–5 | Primary | 421 |
| East Mills Elementary School | Record | East Mills Comm School District | Hastings, 51540Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 232 |
| East Mills Jr/Sr High School | Record | East Mills Comm School District | Hastings, 51540Rural: Distant | 7–12 | High | 215 |
Glenwood Senior High School
Glenwood Comm School District
Glenwood, 51534 / Town: Fringe
Northeast Elementary School
Glenwood Comm School District
Glenwood, 51534 / Town: Fringe
Glenwood Middle School
Glenwood Comm School District
Glenwood, 51534 / Town: Fringe
West Elementary School
Glenwood Comm School District
Glenwood, 51534 / Town: Fringe
East Mills Elementary School
East Mills Comm School District
Hastings, 51540 / Rural: Distant
East Mills Jr/Sr High School
East Mills Comm School District
Hastings, 51540 / Rural: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,889
State avg $7,591
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Mills 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 Mills County?
What is the graduation rate in Mills County?
How much does Mills 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.