Cedar Falls Comm School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Cedar Falls, Iowa - 11 schools

An equity score of 41/100 ranks Cedar Falls Comm School District #193 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,378 per pupil, Cedar Falls Comm School District ranks #272 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,892
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$11,378
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Cedar Falls Comm School District operates 11 public schools serving 5,892 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 combined, 1 high 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 Black Hawk County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,378 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 39.2% local, 51.4% state, and 9.4% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 41/100, ranked #193 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 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (15 AP courses district-wide), a 413:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 12.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 80.8% White, 4.3% African American, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is North Cedar Elementary School, with a diversity index of 40.8/100.

Its largest campus is Cedar Falls High School, enrolling 1,333 students (23% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Cedar Falls Virtual Campus, at 44 students, a 30x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Cedar Falls High School accounts for 22.6% of all Cedar Falls Comm School District student enrollment

That concentration means Cedar Falls 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Cedar Falls Comm School District school enrollment varies 30× across entities

Cedar Falls Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 44 students (lowest) to 1,333 students (highest), a spread of 1,289 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Cedar Falls Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 413:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Cedar Falls Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 12.9% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

9.4%
Federal
51.4%
State
39.2%
Local

Funding Equity

41
Equity Score
193 / 303
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 11 schools in Cedar Falls Comm School District.

White 80.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
African American 4.3%
Asian 3.2%
Multiracial 7.2%
Other 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 33.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Cedar Falls Comm School District's schools, about the same as the Iowa average of 33.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 North Cedar Elementary School 40.8
  2. 2 Cedar Heights Elementary School 39.0
  3. 3 Orchard Hill Elementary School 38.1
  4. 4 Lincoln Elementary School 36.2
  5. 5 Southdale Elementary School 35.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
15 AP courses total
413:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
12.9%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Cedar Falls Comm School District

School Enrollment
Cedar Falls High School
1,333
Peet Junior High School
695
Holmes Junior High School
628
Helen a Hansen Elementary School
569
Southdale Elementary School
539
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary
472
Orchard Hill Elementary School
458
Cedar Heights Elementary School
451
Lincoln Elementary School
416
North Cedar Elementary School
292
Cedar Falls Virtual Campus
44

How Cedar Falls Comm School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Iowa districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Pleasant Valley Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
College Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Marshalltown Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Ottumwa Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Muscatine Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Cedar Falls Comm School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Iowa

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Cedar Falls Comm School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Des Moines Independent Comm School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Cedar Falls Comm School District?

Cedar Falls Comm School District has 11 schools, including 1 high, 10 combined. Total enrollment is 5,892 students.

How much does Cedar Falls Comm School District spend per student?

Cedar Falls Comm School District spends $11,378 per student. The district has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #193 in Iowa.

What is the demographic composition of Cedar Falls Comm School District?

Cedar Falls Comm School District students are 80.8% White, 4.3% African American, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 3.2% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Cedar Falls Comm School District?

Cedar Falls Comm School District has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #193 out of 303 districts in Iowa.