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Excellent

#110 of 1,280 schools in IA

Top 9% in state

Orchard Hills Elementary

Elementary School · Norwalk Comm School District · Norwalk, IA

A Norwalk Comm School District elementary school serving grades 2nd – 3rd.

1130 W North Avenue, Norwalk, IA 50211

  • Math 85% vs IA 77% (2025)
  • Reading 83% vs IA 69% (2025)
  • 15:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.9Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data4
Annual Change+1.88 pts/yr
Data Period2020–2025
TrendImproving
Academics8.2Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency84.8% (2025 ISASP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency83% (2025 ISASP)
Math vs. State Avg+8.1 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+13.9 pts
Overall Proficiency84% (2025 ISASP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)82% (model expectation from 2025 ISASP)
vs. Expected+2.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile72th
Resources & Environment5.3Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio15:1
District spending per student$11,499
Chronic Absenteeism15%

Students at Orchard Hills Elementary score 84% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 82%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 ISASP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. IA average.

Math Proficiency85%(2025 ISASP)
School
State
77%(2025 ISASP)
ELA Proficiency83%(2025 ISASP)
School
State
69%(2025 ISASP)

Trend

↑ Improving

Proficiency has improved 9 points since 2020, reaching 84% in 2025, across a 6-year record (2020–2025).

Show all 4 years by subject
2020*
Math
85%
ELA
65%
2021*
Math
85%
ELA
65%
2022
Math
82%
ELA
76%
2025
Math
85%
ELA
83%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 84% (multi-year average, 2020-2025) · reading/ELA 72% (multi-year average, 2020-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 8 test records from IA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

24%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Orchard Hills Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 5Car-Dependent
  • Bike 26Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: Average289/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Norwalk), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$97,661

Median home value

$293,800

Median rent

$883/mo

College educated

37.1%

Homeownership

86.1%

Poverty rate

4.5%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 50211; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

3 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Norwalk Christian AcademyPrivate · tuitionNot ratedK–50.7 mi8Compare →
Main Street SchoolPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–101.2 mi23Compare →
Morris Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified4.2K–54.9 mi498Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Norwalk Comm School District

Schools in district
5
Rank in district
#1 of 5
District spending per student
$11,499NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
3.4%Census SAIPE · 2024

Orchard Hills Elementary is listed in Norwalk Comm School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Orchard Hills Elementary

Orchard Hills Elementary is a public elementary school in Norwalk, IA, part of Norwalk Comm School District, serving approximately 526 students in grades 2nd-3rd with a 15:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.5 out of 10 and ranks #110 of 1,280 schools in IA. State assessment records show 84% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025) and 72% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Orchard Hills Elementary

What grades does Orchard Hills Elementary serve?

Orchard Hills Elementary serves students in grades 2nd through 3rd.

How many students attend Orchard Hills Elementary?

Orchard Hills Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 526 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Orchard Hills Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Orchard Hills Elementary is 15:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Orchard Hills Elementary rank in IA?

Orchard Hills Elementary ranks #110 of 1,280 schools in IA.

What is Orchard Hills Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Orchard Hills Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.5 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 Orchard Hills Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Orchard Hills Elementary has 84% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025) and 72% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2020-2025).

Is Orchard Hills Elementary a charter school?

No, Orchard Hills Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Orchard Hills Elementary a Title I school?

No, Orchard Hills Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Orchard Hills Elementary?

24.0% of students at Orchard Hills Elementary 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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
2nd – 3rd
Enrollment
526
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
Teachers (FTE)
35
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Warren County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
15.0%
Area population (ZIP 50211)
16,222
Area average commute
21.6 min
Area median age
37.5
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

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 50211; 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, 2020-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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