The brief
A Mason City Comm School District high school where students score 13 points below what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 1,270 of 1,284 schools in Iowa and 9 of 9 in Mason City Comm School District.
Alternative School is listed in Mason City Comm School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.
- 202548%
- 2023–2024: no results on file
- 202245%
- 2021*35%
- 2020*35%
- 201930%
- 201830%
* A COVID-affected year: test participation was uneven nationwide, so the model weights it at half.
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025
Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.
Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Full Profile · 4/4 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 52% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 62% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).
- School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
- NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
- Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
- MySchoolScout rating and rank
- MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
- Math proficiency
- State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Reading/ELA proficiency
- State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Student progress (growth)
- NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
- Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
- U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
- Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
- Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 50401; this does not measure the attendance area.
- Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
- CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.
Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.The area
- Median income
- $63,807
- Median home value
- $134,100
- Median rent
- $868/mo
- College educated
- 21.9%
- Homeownership
- 68.2%
- Poverty rate
- 10%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 50401; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 19
- Car-Dependent
- Transit Score
- 19
- Minimal Transit
- Bike Score
- 46
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 2,933/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Mason City. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Mason City), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Programs
- Gifted and talented
- Available
- A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Who goes here
- Free or reduced lunch
- 63%
- Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).
Compare nearby
Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Alternative School serve?
Alternative School serves students in grades 9th through 12th.
How many students attend Alternative School?
Alternative School has an enrollment of approximately 92 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alternative School?
The student-teacher ratio at Alternative School is 18.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Alternative School rank in IA?
Alternative School ranks #1,270 of 1,284 schools in IA.
What is Alternative School's MySchoolScout rating?
Alternative School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 2.6 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.
What are the test scores at Alternative School?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Alternative School has 52% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 62% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).
Is Alternative School a charter school?
No, Alternative School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Alternative School a Title I school?
No, Alternative School is not currently a Title I school.
What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Alternative School?
63.0% of students at Alternative School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.
School facts
- Grades
- 9th – 12th
- Enrollment
- 92
- Student-teacher ratio
- 18.4:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 5
- Type
- Alternative
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Remote Town
- County
- Cerro Gordo County
- Phone
- (641) 421-4426
- 4-year graduation
- 60–69%
- Class of 2023
- Rank in district
- #9 of 9
- Schools in district
- 9
- District spending per student
- $15,155
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 14.7%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 50401)
- 28,818
- Area average commute
- 13.9 min
- Area median age
- 42.5
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
Related reading
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Iowa Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.