Fort Dodge Comm School District operates 7 public schools serving 3,676 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,385 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Webster County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,633 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 31.4% local, 48.2% state, and 20.4% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $79,126 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 63/100, ranked #87 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 320.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 31.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 67.0% White, 15.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% African American across the district's schools.
Fort Dodge High School accounts for 30.1% of all Fort Dodge Comm School District student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Fort Dodge 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.
Fort Dodge Comm School District school enrollment varies 4.5× across entities
Fort Dodge Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 227 students (lowest) to 1,020 students (highest), a spread of 793 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.
Fort Dodge Comm School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 52.2% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Fort Dodge Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 320:1 — 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 Fort Dodge Comm School District is typically wider than the Fort Dodge Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Fort Dodge Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 31.8% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
How many schools are in Fort Dodge Comm School District?
Fort Dodge Comm School District has 7 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 3,676 students.
How much does Fort Dodge Comm School District spend per student?
Fort Dodge Comm School District spends $15,633 per student. The district has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #87 in Iowa.
What is the average teacher salary in Fort Dodge Comm School District?
The average teacher salary in Fort Dodge Comm School District is $79,126 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Fort Dodge Comm School District?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Webster County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Fort Dodge Comm School District?
Fort Dodge Comm School District students are 67.0% White, 15.7% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Fort Dodge Comm School District?
Fort Dodge Comm School District has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #87 out of 303 districts in Iowa. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.