Can I use Washington County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Washington County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Washington County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Washington County?

Start with the 13 listed public schools and 4 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Washington County Schools & Education

Name: Washington County, Iowa Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Washington County, Iowa

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

74/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Higher Signal

Graduation Rate

93.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

93.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 92.3%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,306

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,591

School Score

74/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 61/100

State Score Position

of 99 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Washington County

Measured School Summary

Washington County has a higher measured school signal with a school score of 74/100 and a graduation rate of 93.6%, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-score inputs.

Funding Context

Washington County spends $8,306 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 21% above the Iowa average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.3 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Washington 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

13 public schools and 4 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

74/100

Higher measured signal. Ranks #8 of 99 Iowa counties with school score data.

Completion

93.6%

1.3 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,306

$715 above the state average

School coverage

4 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county screens well on the combined school metrics available here. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Washington County has 13 public schools across 4 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.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Washington 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.

Higher-signal county

Washington County screens well on the measured county-level school signal. The next check is whether that strength is broad across districts or concentrated in a few school pathways.

State position

of 99 Iowa counties with school score data. The county score is 13 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.

Washington Comm School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,653 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Mid-Prairie Comm School District

Elementary to high school visible

1,446 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 1

5 listed schools in this county slice.

Highland Comm School District

Elementary to high school visible

565 students

Elementary 1Middle 1High 1Other 0

3 listed schools in this county slice.

Waco Comm School District

Elementary school only in this slice

290 students

Elementary 1Middle 0High 0Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Mid-Prairie Comm School District is the largest listed district slice, with 5 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 Washington County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Washington 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?

Data Story

Washington County school score exceeds state and national benchmarks

Education data brief for Washington County, Iowa.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:School score

Washington County reports a composite school score of 74.1, which is notably higher than the Iowa average of 61.3 and the national median of 50.0. The county's 13 public schools serve 3,954 students across four districts. The Washington Community School District is the largest by enrollment, serving 1,653 students, with Stewart Elementary School being the largest individual facility at 481 students. The county maintains a graduation rate of 93.6%, exceeding the state average of 92.3% and the national average of 87.0%. Per-pupil expenditure is $8,306, which is higher than the Iowa state average of $7,591 but below the national average of $13,000. Ten of the county's 13 schools are located in rural locales, with the remaining three in town settings. There are currently no charter schools operating within the county. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Washington County

Reported Enrollment

3,954

13 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary6

Middle3

High3

Other1

4 School Districts in Washington County

Washington Comm School District

4 schools

1,653 students

Mid-Prairie Comm School District

5 schools

1,446 students

Highland Comm School District

3 schools

565 students

Waco Comm School District

2 schools

505 students

13 Public Schools in Washington 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 data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 13 of 13 matching schools

Public schools in Washington County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Stewart Elementary School	Record	Washington Comm School District	Washington, 52353Town: Distant	PK–2	Primary	481
Washington High School	Record	Washington Comm School District	Washington, 52353Rural: Fringe	9–12	High	471
Mid-Prairie Middle School	Record	Mid-Prairie Comm School District	Kalona, 52247Rural: Distant	5–8	Middle	430
Mid-Prairie High School	Record	Mid-Prairie Comm School District	Wellman, 52356Rural: Distant	9–12	High	379
Lincoln Upper Elementary School	Record	Washington Comm School District	Washington, 52353Town: Distant	3–5	Primary	351
Mid-Prairie West Elem. School	Record	Mid-Prairie Comm School District	Wellman, 52356Rural: Distant	3–4	Primary	350
Washington Middle School	Record	Washington Comm School District	Washington, 52353Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	350
Waco Elementary School	Record	Waco Comm School District	Crawfordsville, 52621Rural: Distant	PK–6	Primary	290
Highland Elementary School	Record	Highland Comm School District	Riverside, 52327Rural: Distant	PK–5	Primary	283
Mid-Prairie East Elem. School	Record	Mid-Prairie Comm School District	Kalona, 52247Rural: Distant	KG–2	Primary	272
Highland High School	Record	Highland Comm School District	Riverside, 52327Rural: Distant	9–12	High	171
Highland Middle School	Record	Highland Comm School District	Riverside, 52327Rural: Distant	6–8	Middle	111
Mid-Prairie Virtual Academy	Record	Mid-Prairie Comm School District	Wellman, 52356Rural: Distant	KG–12	Virtual	15

Stewart Elementary School

Washington Comm School District

Washington, 52353 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–2Primary481 students

Washington High School

Washington Comm School District

Washington, 52353 / Rural: Fringe

Record9–12High471 students

Mid-Prairie Middle School

Mid-Prairie Comm School District

Kalona, 52247 / Rural: Distant

Record5–8Middle430 students

Mid-Prairie High School

Mid-Prairie Comm School District

Wellman, 52356 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High379 students

Lincoln Upper Elementary School

Washington Comm School District

Washington, 52353 / Town: Distant

Record3–5Primary351 students

Mid-Prairie West Elem. School

Mid-Prairie Comm School District

Wellman, 52356 / Rural: Distant

Record3–4Primary350 students

Washington Middle School

Washington Comm School District

Washington, 52353 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle350 students

Waco Elementary School

Waco Comm School District

Crawfordsville, 52621 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary290 students

Highland Elementary School

Highland Comm School District

Riverside, 52327 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–5Primary283 students

Mid-Prairie East Elem. School

Mid-Prairie Comm School District

Kalona, 52247 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–2Primary272 students

Highland High School

Highland Comm School District

Riverside, 52327 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High171 students

Highland Middle School

Highland Comm School District

Riverside, 52327 / Rural: Distant

Record6–8Middle111 students

Mid-Prairie Virtual Academy

Mid-Prairie Comm School District

Wellman, 52356 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–12Virtual15 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,306

State avg $7,591

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Washington County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Iowa counties have the highest graduation rates?

Dallas County (97.3%), Clay County (97.0%), and Davis County (97.0%) currently lead Iowa among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Iowa?

Across Iowa counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,591. The highest current county values are Kossuth County ($8,712), Cerro Gordo County ($8,682), and Franklin County ($8,627). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Washington County?

Washington County has a school score of 74/100, which is a higher measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Washington County?

The high school graduation rate in Washington County is 93.6%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Washington County spend per student?

Washington County spends $8,306 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Clay County

Iowa

-1 pts

74/100

School score

Emmet County

Iowa

-1 pts

73/100

School score

Mitchell County

Iowa

-1 pts

73/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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.

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