Pocahontas County Schools & Education
Pocahontas County, Iowa
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
66/100
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
$8,122
National avg $13,239
State avg $7,591
School Score
66/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 61/100
State Score Position
#38
of 99 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Pocahontas County
Measured School Summary
Pocahontas County performs at an average level with a school score of 66/100 and a solid graduation rate of 92.0%.
Funding Context
Pocahontas County spends $8,122 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 9% above the Iowa average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 0.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 7% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Pocahontas 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 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
66/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #38 of 99 Iowa counties with school score data.
Completion
92.0%
0.3 pts below the state average
Funding context
$8,122
$531 above the state average
School coverage
4
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
Pocahontas County has 4 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 Pocahontas 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
Pocahontas 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
#38
of 99 Iowa counties with school score data. The county score is 5 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.
Pocahontas Area Comm School District
Elementary and high visible
696 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
Laurens-Marathon Comm School District
Elementary school only in this slice
140 students
1 listed school in this county slice.
District reality check
Pocahontas Area Comm School District is the largest listed district slice, with 3 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 Pocahontas County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Pocahontas County district systems?
Where do students transition after the visible grade band, and is that next school inside the same district path?
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
Pocahontas County Schools Operate Entirely Within Rural Locales
Education data brief for Pocahontas County, Iowa.
Pocahontas County features a highly consolidated district structure where all four of its public schools are classified as rural. This rural network serves 836 students, with an average school size of 209. The Pocahontas Area Community School District is the larger of the two districts, enrolling 696 students across three facilities, including the Pocahontas Area Regional Learning Center, which is designated as an alternative school. Per-pupil expenditure in the county is $8,122, notably higher than the Iowa state average of $7,591, though lower than the national average of $13,000. The county’s composite school score of 66.3 exceeds both the state average of 61.3 and the national median of 50.0. The graduation rate is 92.0%, nearly identical to the state average of 92.3% and five points above the national benchmark of 87.0%. There are currently no charter schools in operation. Compare district-level records via the NCES Common Core of Data for more information.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
4
in Pocahontas County
Reported Enrollment
836
4 schools reporting
School Districts
2
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
2 School Districts in Pocahontas County
Pocahontas Area Comm School District
Laurens-Marathon Comm School District
4 Public Schools in Pocahontas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas Area Middle/ High School | Record | Pocahontas Area Comm School District | Pocahontas, 50574Rural: Remote | 7–12 | High | 392 |
| Pocahontas Area Elementary School | Record | Pocahontas Area Comm School District | Pocahontas, 50574Rural: Remote | KG–6 | Primary | 283 |
| Laurens-Marathon Elementary School | Record | Laurens-Marathon Comm School District | Laurens, 50554Rural: Remote | PK–6 | Primary | 140 |
| Pocahontas Area Regional Learning Center | Record | Pocahontas Area Comm School District | Pocahontas, 50574Rural: Remote | 9–12 | Alternative | 21 |
Pocahontas Area Middle/ High School
Pocahontas Area Comm School District
Pocahontas, 50574 / Rural: Remote
Pocahontas Area Elementary School
Pocahontas Area Comm School District
Pocahontas, 50574 / Rural: Remote
Laurens-Marathon Elementary School
Laurens-Marathon Comm School District
Laurens, 50554 / Rural: Remote
Pocahontas Area Regional Learning Center
Pocahontas Area Comm School District
Pocahontas, 50574 / Rural: Remote
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$8,122
State avg $7,591
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Pocahontas 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
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How much does Pocahontas 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.