Iowans reputation for modest, hardworking folk is reflected in the quality and high achievement of the state’s public school districts. In fact, Iowa was ranked fifth in the country in education by U.S. News and World Report.

The honor of being Iowa’s best school system goes to Johnston Community School District serving Johnston, IA, a northern suburb of capital city Des Moines. Among the largest school districts in the state, JCSD is comprised of eight schools, several specialty centers and employs over 1,000 people.

Waukee Community School District earns the second position on the list. The district--named Iowa’s fastest growing in 2015--administers 13 schools with an enrollment of over 9,500 students from preschool through grade 12. Over 89% percent of WCSD graduates proceed on to a form of postgraduate education, and the district ranks high in every measurement of academic achievement.

Ranking third is the Pleasant Valley Community School District, which serves the communities of Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley, Riverdale and LeClaire, IA. The district of around 4,200 students has received accreditation through the Iowa Department of Education and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Fourth on the list is Gilbert School District located in Gilbert, IA. GSD consistently ranks high in academic excellence and recently received a terrific rating in the most recent Iowa School Report Card.

Ankeny Community School District of Polk County, IA places at #5. The large district of over 10,000 students is one of the fastest growing in the state, and has been accredited by a number of organizations.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?

When discussing the best states in the U.S. to raise kids, there’s a strong argument to be had for Illinois, as Chicago area suburbs boast some of the best public school districts in the country, by any measure. Academic achievement, generous funding, superb athletic programs, and great extracurricular activities are all attributes shared by most districts in the region.

Illinois’ best school district is Naperville Community Unit School District 203, which serves central Naperville and parts of Bolingbrook and Lisle in Dupage County. Naperville Central High School, one of District 203’s two high schools, has been listed in U.S. News and World Report’s list of the top high schools in America, while 203’s Meadow Glens Elementary was named a Blue Ribbon School in 2015.

Morton Community Unit School District 709, located in Morton, IL, is Illinois’ second highest ranked school district. Comprising four elementary schools, one junior high and one high school, Morton District 709 schools have repeatedly received medals for their achievements from US News & World Reports, and its students average an ACT composite score 2.5 points higher than the statewide average.

Third in the ranking is Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 serving Wauconda (not to be confused with Wakanda, the fictional African nation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and other communities in Lake County.

Dunlap Community Unit School District 323 (#4) serving Peoria County, and Barrington Community Unit School District 220 (#5), which earned the highest financial rating in the state, round out the top five.

Methodology

The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.

Did your district make the list?