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Grinnell, Iowa - 5 schools
An equity score of 65/100 ranks Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District #81 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,305 per pupil, Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District ranks #84 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,573
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$13,305
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District operates 5 public schools serving 1,573 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 combined 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 Poweshiek County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,305 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 41.2% local, 49.2% state, and 9.6% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 65/100, ranked #81 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.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (7 AP courses district-wide), a 206.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 26.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 84.8% White, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Fairview Elementary School, with a diversity index of 34.4/100.
Grinnell Community Senior High School accounts for 32.5% of all Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Grinnell-Newburg 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.
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District school enrollment varies 3.5× across entities
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 147 students (lowest) to 512 students (highest), a spread of 365 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.
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 207:1 — 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.
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 26.3% — 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 Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District is typically wider than the Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Grinnell-Newburg 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.
How many schools are in Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District?
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District has 5 schools, including 1 high, 3 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,573 students.
How much does Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District spend per student?
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District spends $13,305 per student. The district has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #81 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District?
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District students are 84.8% White, 6.9% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District?
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #81 out of 303 districts in Iowa.