KALONA

On April 14, the Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation, in partnership with the School Boards for Academic Excellence, launched a new online resource that provides Iowans access to data on student achievement and school spending in every public school district across the state. Titled the ITR Report Card, the public is able view the data and compare academic performance and track trends over time, which the creators hope will empower parents, school board members, and taxpayers to have meaningful conversations and ensure responsible stewardship of public dollars.

The News took a look at the data to see what could be learned by viewing the information on our three local school districts, Mid-Prairie, Highland and Lone Tree.

All three districts have graduation rates above the state average: 96% at Highland, 91% at Mid-Prairie, and 90% at Lone Tree. While average ACT scores (2023) are slightly above the state average for Highland (21.8) and Mid-Prairie (21.5) students, Lone Tree’s students fall a bit below (19.3).

All three districts face declining enrollment, although Lone Tree’s is steeper (down 21%) than Highland (10.2%) and Mid-Prairie (4.6%). Lone Tree also struggles more with staff retention; the staff retention rate at Lone Tree is 62.5%, compared to 82.3% at Mid-Prairie and 91.5% at Highland.

When it comes to taxation and spending, Lone Tree fares better than its peers, with the lowest total district levy (2024) at $12.766, compared to $12.955 for Highland and $13.105 for Mid-Prairie. Lone Tree also has the lowest debt per student: $6,157, compared to $6,975 owed per Highland student and $18,548 owed per Mid-Prairie student.

The amount of debt per student at Mid-Prairie is striking; the district far outspends its neighbors when it comes to per-pupil expenditure. In 2023 Mid-Prairie spent $29,489 per pupil, compared to $20,825 at Highland and $18,342 at Lone Tree.

According to the website, only Highland’s rate of property tax growth is reasonable. Coming in at 15.7%, taxes are growing 6.7% slower than the combined growth of enrollment and inflation, thus considered reasonable.

Lone Tree’s property tax growth is 44.8%; taxes are increasing 33.1% faster than the combined growth of enrollment and inflation, thus considered unreasonable. Mid-Prairie’s property tax growth of 46.6% is also considered unreasonable; taxes are increasing 18.6% faster than the combined growth of enrollment and inflation. Both Lone Tree and Mid-Prairie’s property tax growth rates are higher than the statewide average of 40.1%.

This is just a sample of the data available on the ITR Report Card.

“With the ITR Report Card, users can see how their local district compares to others statewide, identify areas of strength or concern, and better advocate for policies that promote academic excellence,” the Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation said in a press release.

Find the report card online at www.itreportcard.org.