There were 58 Black students enrolled in Marion County schools in the 2023-24 school year, 1.8% more than the previous year, according to the Iowa Department of Education.
Data showed that Marion County welcomed 5,195 students during the 2023-24 school year. Among them, Black students comprised 1.1% of the student body to be the fourth represented ethnicity in the county.
Among the 16 schools in the county, Pella High School recorded the highest enrollment of Black students in the 2023-24 school year, with a total of 20 students.
Public school enrollment in Iowa remained relatively stable in the 2024-25 school year, with 480,665 students, a slight decrease of 0.63% compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, enrollment in accredited nonpublic schools grew by nearly 10%, reaching 39,356 students, up from 36,195. This increase was partially driven by the Students First Education Savings (ESA) program, with 27,866 students utilizing ESAs at nonpublic schools.
| School Name | School District | % of Black Students | Black Students Count | Total School Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pella High School | Pella Comm | 2.5% | 20 | 791 |
| West Elementary School | Knoxville Comm | 1.7% | 6 | 345 |
| Madison Elementary School | Pella Comm | 1.2% | 5 | 413 |
| Pella Middle School | Pella Comm | 1.4% | 5 | 363 |
| Pleasantville High School | Pleasantville Comm | 1.6% | 4 | 245 |
| Knoxville High School | Knoxville Comm | 0.6% | 3 | 503 |
| Northstar Elementary School | Knoxville Comm | 0.9% | 3 | 342 |
| Melcher-Dallas High School | Melcher-Dallas Comm | 2.1% | 3 | 145 |
| Jefferson Intermediate School | Pella Comm | 0.6% | 3 | 502 |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Pella Comm | 0.8% | 2 | 262 |
| Knoxville Middle School | Knoxville Comm | 0.3% | 1 | 324 |
| Melcher-Dallas Elementary School | Melcher-Dallas Comm | 0.7% | 1 | 138 |
| Pleasantville Elementary School | Pleasantville Comm | 0.3% | 1 | 383 |
| Pleasantville Middle School | Pleasantville Comm | 0.8% | 1 | 126 |
| Twin Cedars Elementary School | Twin Cedars Comm | 0% | 0 | 154 |
| Twin Cedars Junior-Senior High School | Twin Cedars Comm | 0% | 0 | 159 |
