Graettinger-Terril 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.

Graettinger, Iowa - 3 schools

An equity score of 73/100 ranks Graettinger-Terril Comm School District #43 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,874 per pupil, Graettinger-Terril Comm School District ranks #27 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

354
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$14,874
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Graettinger-Terril Comm School District operates 3 public schools serving 354 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 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 Palo Alto County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,874 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 33 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 55.4% local, 36.2% state, and 8.4% 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 73/100, ranked #43 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 202.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 25.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 95.0% White, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Graettinger-Terril Elementary School, with a diversity index of 13.9/100.

Its largest campus is Graettinger-Terril Elementary School, enrolling 149 students (46% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Graettinger-Terril Middle School, at 48 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Graettinger-Terril Elementary School accounts for 42.1% of all Graettinger-Terril Comm School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Graettinger-Terril 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

Graettinger-Terril Comm School District school enrollment varies 3.1× across entities

Graettinger-Terril Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 48 students (lowest) to 149 students (highest), a spread of 101 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.

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

Graettinger-Terril Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 203:1 — 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

Graettinger-Terril Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 25.4% — 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 Graettinger-Terril Comm School District is typically wider than the Graettinger-Terril 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?

8.4%
Federal
36.2%
State
55.4%
Local

Funding Equity

73
Equity Score
43 / 303
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Graettinger-Terril Comm School District.

White 95.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
Multiracial 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 9.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Graettinger-Terril Comm School District's schools, below the Iowa average of 33.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Graettinger-Terril Elementary School 13.9
  2. 2 Graettinger-Terril High School 10.5
  3. 3 Graettinger-Terril Middle School 4.1

Programs & Resources

202.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
25.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Graettinger-Terril Comm School District

School Enrollment
Graettinger-Terril Elementary School
149
Graettinger-Terril High School
128
Graettinger-Terril Middle School
48

How Graettinger-Terril Comm School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Iowa districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Schaller-Crestland Comm School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Twin Cedars Comm School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
United Comm School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
River Valley Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Turkey Valley Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Graettinger-Terril 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 Graettinger-Terril 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 Graettinger-Terril Comm School District?

Graettinger-Terril Comm School District has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 354 students.

How much does Graettinger-Terril Comm School District spend per student?

Graettinger-Terril Comm School District spends $14,874 per student. The district has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #43 in Iowa.

What is the demographic composition of Graettinger-Terril Comm School District?

Graettinger-Terril Comm School District students are 95.0% White, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Graettinger-Terril Comm School District?

Graettinger-Terril Comm School District has an equity score of 73/100, ranking #43 out of 303 districts in Iowa.