Fort Dodge Community School District

Listed by NCES as Fort Dodge Comm School District (district ID 1911820)

Public school district · Webster County · Iowa · NCES district ID 1911820

Fort Dodge Community School District spent $12,486 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 53% of the other Iowa districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $12,583). Its 7 schools enrolled 3,385 students in 2024-25; 52.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,949 per student, up 3.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 74% (Iowa: 87.5%).

Spending per student among Iowa districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Fort Dodge Community in enrollment (3,061 to 3,767 students) and Fort Dodge Community itself.

Current spending per student, Iowa districts closest in size to Fort Dodge Community, FY23Mason City Community $14,852; Burlington Community $14,619; Clinton Comm $13,837; Clear Creek Amana Community $12,575; Fort Dodge Community $12,486; Western Dubuque Community $11,836; Indianola Community $11,822; North Scott Community $11,388; Dallas Center-Grimes Comm $11,347; Norwalk Community $11,287; State median, 1,000+ students $12,583.10k12k14k16kMason City Community$14,852Burlington Community$14,619Clinton Comm$13,837Clear Creek Amana Community$12,575Fort Dodge Community$12,486Western Dubuque Community$11,836Indianola Community$11,822North Scott Community$11,388Dallas Center-Grimes Comm$11,347Norwalk Community$11,287State median, 1,000+ students $12,583
Current spending per student, Iowa districts closest in size to Fort Dodge Community, FY23Mason City Community $14,852; Burlington Community $14,619; Clinton Comm $13,837; Clear Creek Amana Community $12,575; Fort Dodge Community $12,486; Western Dubuque Community $11,836; Indianola Community $11,822; North Scott Community $11,388; Dallas Center-Grimes Comm $11,347; Norwalk Community $11,287; State median, 1,000+ students $12,583.10k12k14k16kMason City Community$14,852Burlington Community$14,619Clinton Comm$13,837Clear Creek Amana Community$12,575Fort Dodge Community$12,486Western Dubuque Community$11,836Indianola Community$11,822North Scott Community$11,388Dallas Center-Grimes Comm$11,347Norwalk Community$11,287State median, 1,000+ students $12,583
Current spending per student, Iowa districts closest in size to Fort Dodge Community, FY23Mason City Community $14,852; Burlington Community $14,619; Clinton Comm $13,837; Clear Creek Amana Community $12,575; Fort Dodge Community $12,486; Western Dubuque Community $11,836; Indianola Community $11,822; North Scott Community $11,388; Dallas Center-Grimes Comm $11,347; Norwalk Community $11,287; State median, 1,000+ students $12,583.10k12k14k16kMason City Community$14,852Burlington Community$14,619Clinton Comm$13,837Clear Creek Amana Community$12,575Fort Dodge Community$12,486Western Dubuque Community$11,836Indianola Community$11,822North Scott Community$11,388Dallas Center-Grimes Comm$11,347Norwalk Community$11,287State median, 1,000+ students $12,583
Current spending per student, Iowa districts closest in size to Fort Dodge Community, FY23Mason City Community $14,852; Burlington Community $14,619; Clinton Comm $13,837; Clear Creek Amana Community $12,575; Fort Dodge Community $12,486; Western Dubuque Community $11,836; Indianola Community $11,822; North Scott Community $11,388; Dallas Center-Grimes Comm $11,347; Norwalk Community $11,287; State median, 1,000+ students $12,583.10k12k14k16kMason City Community$14,852Burlington Community$14,619Clinton Comm$13,837Clear Creek Amana Community$12,575Fort Dodge Community$12,486Western Dubuque Community$11,836Indianola Community$11,822North Scott Community$11,388Dallas Center-Grimes Comm$11,347Norwalk Community$11,287State median, 1,000+ students $12,583

Where the money came from

$66,856,000 in revenue: 52.2% state, 34.2% local and 13.6% federal. Total spending including $4,722,000 of capital outlay was $54,198,000, or $14,744 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Fort Dodge Community School District revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $34,931,000; Local $22,853,000; Federal $9,072,000; total $66,856,000.
  • State$34,931,000 52%
  • Local$22,853,000 34%
  • Federal$9,072,000 14%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 125 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

3,527 students in 2022-23, 3,470 students in 2023-24, 3,385 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Fort Dodge Community School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,527, 2023-24: 3,470, 2024-25: 3,38501k2k3k4k2022-233,5272023-243,4702024-253,385
Fort Dodge Community School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,527, 2023-24: 3,470, 2024-25: 3,38501k2k3k4k2022-233,5272023-243,4702024-253,385
Fort Dodge Community School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,527, 2023-24: 3,470, 2024-25: 3,38501k2k3k4k2022-233,5272023-243,4702024-253,385
Fort Dodge Community School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 3,527, 2023-24: 3,470, 2024-25: 3,38501k2k3k4k2022-233,5272023-243,4702024-253,385

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-233,527230.415.3
2023-243,470213.816.2
2024-253,385216.715.6

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$15,524,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,223 per student

Fort Dodge Community School District booked $15,524,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 235 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $66,046 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 67 in 100 Iowa districts with a figure (state median $63,361, 318 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Iowa teacher salary at $59,262 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$10,081,00064.9%
Special education$2,811,00018.1%
Vocational$500,0003.2%
Other programs$2,132,00013.7%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,182 in 2018-19, $4,584 in 2019-20, $4,230 in 2020-21, $4,315 in 2021-22, $4,223 in 2022-23.

Fort Dodge Community School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,182, 2019-20: $4,584, 2020-21: $4,230, 2021-22: $4,315, 2022-23: $4,22302k4k6k2018-19$4,1822019-20$4,5842020-21$4,2302021-22$4,3152022-23$4,223
Fort Dodge Community School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,182, 2019-20: $4,584, 2020-21: $4,230, 2021-22: $4,315, 2022-23: $4,22302k4k6k2018-19$4,1822019-20$4,5842020-21$4,2302021-22$4,3152022-23$4,223
Fort Dodge Community School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,182, 2019-20: $4,584, 2020-21: $4,230, 2021-22: $4,315, 2022-23: $4,22302k4k6k2018-19$4,1822019-20$4,5842020-21$4,2302021-22$4,3152022-23$4,223
Fort Dodge Community School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,182, 2019-20: $4,584, 2020-21: $4,230, 2021-22: $4,315, 2022-23: $4,22302k4k6k2018-19$4,1822019-20$4,5842020-21$4,2302021-22$4,3152022-23$4,223

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Fort Dodge Community School District scored proficient or above: 55% in reading and 44% in math, against 69.7% in reading and 63.8% in math across Iowa. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Iowa, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtIowaStudents tested
Reading and language arts55%69.7%2,293
Math44%63.8%2,295

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

74% of the 270 students in Fort Dodge Community School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Iowa. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtIowa
Four-year graduation rate74%87.5%
Students in the class27038,026

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

5 elementary schools, 1,600 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Duncombe Elementary School43814.463.5%Schoolwide program
Early Childhood Center37613.537.0%Targeted program
Butler Elementary School32813.260.1%Schoolwide program
Cooper Elementary School23114.238.1%Schoolwide program
Feelhaver Elementary School22717.029.5%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 765 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Fort Dodge Middle School76517.149.5%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 1,020 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Fort Dodge High School1,02017.241.8%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Fort Dodge Community School District

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Fort Dodge Community School District

  1. Iowa districts by spending per studentFort Dodge Community School District ranks 67 of 125 Iowa districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,486).#67 of 125
  2. Every school district in IowaFort Dodge Community School District is the number 26 by size of 328 Iowa districts, with 3,676 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#26 of 328
  3. Western Dubuque Community School DistrictThe next larger Iowa district: 3,742 students in fall 2022, $11,836 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,836
  4. Indianola Community School DistrictThe next smaller Iowa district: 3,665 students in fall 2022, $11,822 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,822
  5. Compare Fort Dodge Community School District with Western Dubuque Community School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Fort Dodge High School, its largest high school1,020 students in 2024-25, 17.2 per teacher.1,020
  7. Teacher salary spending across IowaFort Dodge Community School District spent $66,046 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $63,361); spending, not a salary.$66,046
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Fort Dodge Community School District

  1. How many schools and students are in Fort Dodge Community School District?
    7 schools were open in 2024-25 (5 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 3,385 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Fort Dodge Community School District spend per student?
    $12,486 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Iowa median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,583 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,949 per student, up 3.7% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Fort Dodge Community School District's money come from?
    $66,856,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 52.2% state, 34.2% local and 13.6% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Fort Dodge Community School District live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 672 of the 4,343 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 15.5%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Fort Dodge Community School District spend on teacher salaries?
    $15,524,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,223 per student. Divided by the 235 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $66,046 per teacher, more than 67 in 100 Iowa districts (state median $63,361). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Iowa teacher salary at $59,262 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Fort Dodge Community School District do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Fort Dodge Community School District scored proficient or above: 55% in reading and 44% in math, against 69.7% in reading and 63.8% in math across Iowa. Iowa's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Fort Dodge Community School District?
    74% of the 270 students in Fort Dodge Community School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Iowa. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Fort Dodge Community School District's NCES district ID?
    1911820. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25