Clayton Ridge 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.

Guttenberg, Iowa - 4 schools

An equity score of 3/100 ranks Clayton Ridge Comm School District #302 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $9,894 per pupil, Clayton Ridge Comm School District ranks #325 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,485
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$9,894
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Clayton Ridge Comm School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,485 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Polk County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,894 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 33 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 63.1% local, 28.0% state, and 9.0% 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 3/100, ranked #302 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.

a 237.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 16.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 86.5% White, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 3.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Iowa Virtual Academy, with a diversity index of 50.0/100.

Its largest campus is Iowa Virtual Academy, enrolling 1,457 students (71% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Clayton Ridge Middle School, at 140 students, a 10x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Iowa Virtual Academy accounts for 70.5% of all Clayton Ridge Comm School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Clayton Ridge Comm School District a distant remainder — means Clayton Ridge Comm School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Clayton Ridge Comm School District school enrollment varies 10× across entities

Clayton Ridge Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 140 students (lowest) to 1,457 students (highest), a spread of 1,317 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Clayton Ridge Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 238:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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

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

Clayton Ridge Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 16.4% — 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 Clayton Ridge Comm School District is typically wider than the Clayton Ridge Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

9.0%
Federal
28.0%
State
63.1%
Local

Funding Equity

3
Equity Score
302 / 303
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Clayton Ridge Comm School District.

White 86.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
African American 3.1%
Multiracial 3.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 23.2/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Clayton Ridge Comm School District's schools, below the Iowa average of 33.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Iowa Virtual Academy 50.0
  2. 2 Clayton Ridge High School 16.9
  3. 3 Clayton Ridge Middle School 14.9
  4. 4 Clayton Ridge Elementary School 11.1

Programs & Resources

237.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
16.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Clayton Ridge Comm School District

School Enrollment
Iowa Virtual Academy
1,457
Clayton Ridge Elementary School
293
Clayton Ridge High School
176
Clayton Ridge Middle School
140

How Clayton Ridge Comm School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Iowa districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
South Tama County Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Clear Lake Comm School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Independence Comm School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Center Point-Urbana Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Harlan Comm School District Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Clayton Ridge 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 Clayton Ridge 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 Clayton Ridge Comm School District?

Clayton Ridge Comm School District has 4 schools, including 2 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,485 students.

How much does Clayton Ridge Comm School District spend per student?

Clayton Ridge Comm School District spends $9,894 per student. The district has an equity score of 3/100, ranking #302 in Iowa.

What is the demographic composition of Clayton Ridge Comm School District?

Clayton Ridge Comm School District students are 86.5% White, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 3.1% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Clayton Ridge Comm School District?

Clayton Ridge Comm School District has an equity score of 3/100, ranking #302 out of 303 districts in Iowa.