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Ames, Iowa - 8 schools
An equity score of 40/100 ranks Ames Comm School District #197 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,626 per pupil, Ames Comm School District ranks #144 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
4,678
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$12,626
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Ames Comm School District operates 8 public schools serving 4,678 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Story County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,626 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 57.7% local, 34.6% state, and 7.8% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 40/100, ranked #197 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 316.8:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 24.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 60.0% White, 13.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Mitchell Elementary School, with a diversity index of 68.4/100.
Its largest campus is Ames High School, enrolling 1,440 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Northwood Pre-School, at 244 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Ames High School accounts for 30.7% of all Ames Comm School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Ames Comm School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Ames Comm School District school enrollment varies 5.9× across entities
Ames Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 244 students (lowest) to 1,440 students (highest), a spread of 1,196 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Ames Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 317:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Ames Comm School District is typically wider than the Ames Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Ames Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 24.6% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Ames Comm School District is typically wider than the Ames Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Ames Comm School District?
Ames Comm School District has 8 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 4,678 students.
How much does Ames Comm School District spend per student?
Ames Comm School District spends $12,626 per student. The district has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #197 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Ames Comm School District?
Ames Comm School District students are 60.0% White, 13.5% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% African American, 7.8% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Ames Comm School District?
Ames Comm School District has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #197 out of 303 districts in Iowa.