Top Rankings
South O'brien Comm School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Iowa for:
Category
Attribute
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 20%)
For the 2025 school year, there is 1 public high school serving 242 students in South O'brien Comm School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 7/10, which is in the top 50% of public high schools in Iowa.
Public High School in South O'brien Comm School District have an average math proficiency score of 62% (versus the Iowa public high school average of 60%), and reading proficiency score of 78% (versus the 71% statewide average).
Public High School in South O'brien Comm School District have a Graduation Rate of 75%, which is less than the Iowa average of 88%.
The school with highest graduation rate is South O'brien Secondary School, with 70-79% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in Iowa or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 10% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the Iowa public high school average of 27% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (IA)
# Schools
2 Schools
365 Schools
# Students
558 Students
171,507 Students
# Teachers
44 Teachers
11,091 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
South O'brien Comm School District, which is ranked within the top 50% of all 325 school districts in Iowa (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 70-79% has decreased from 80-89% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#114 out of 327 school districts
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
69%
64%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
77%
70%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
70-74%
63%
Graduation Rate
70-79%
90%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.15
0.45
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
n/a
2%
% Hispanic
6%
13%
% Black
n/a
6%
% White
92%
73%
% Hawaiian
n/a
1%
% Two or more races
2%
4%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $18,039 is higher than the state median of $16,468. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $16,091 is higher than the state median of $16,042. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$10 MM
$8,262 MM
Spending
$9 MM
$8,048 MM
Revenue / Student
$18,039
$16,468
Spending / Student
$16,091
$16,042
Best South O'brien Comm School District Public High Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
South O'brien Secondary School
(Math: 62% | Reading: 78%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
307 W Groesbeck
Paullina, IA 51046
(712) 949-3454
Paullina, IA 51046
(712) 949-3454
Grades: 7-12
| 242 students
Recent Articles

Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Special education law is not easy to decipher, with several regulations that govern special education services for disabled students. In this article, learn about the core components of the laws, rights, and individual education plans that can help create the best public school environment for your child.

Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
A school district in Virginia has given the green light to schools that want to install surveillance cameras in common areas like cafeterias and hallways. We’ll look at whether this is a violation of student privacy or the best way to keep order in schools.

Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
As of 2014, nineteen states still allow corporal punishment – spanking and paddling the most common choices – in their public schools. However, some argue that not only are these punishments physically harmful, they also are disproportionately administered to students of color. As a result, House democrats have taken up the issue in a new bill that would ban all forms of corporal punishment nationwide.