Guthrie Center 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.

Guthrie Center, Iowa - 2 schools

An equity score of 70/100 ranks Guthrie Center Comm School District #58 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,684 per pupil, Guthrie Center Comm School District ranks #66 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

470
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$13,684
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Guthrie Center Comm School District operates 2 public schools serving 470 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high 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 Guthrie County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,684 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 48.6% local, 42.4% state, and 9.0% 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 70/100, ranked #58 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 225.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 25.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 88.9% White, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% African American across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Guthrie Center Elementary School, enrolling 253 students (56% of the district's total enrollment).

Guthrie Center Elementary School accounts for 53.8% of all Guthrie Center Comm School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Guthrie Center Comm School District a distant remainder — means Guthrie Center 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

Guthrie Center Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 226:1 — 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

Guthrie Center Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 25.1% — 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 Guthrie Center Comm School District is typically wider than the Guthrie Center 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
42.4%
State
48.6%
Local

Funding Equity

70
Equity Score
58 / 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 2 schools in Guthrie Center Comm School District.

White 88.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.7%
Multiracial 1.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

225.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
25.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Guthrie Center Comm School District

School Enrollment
Guthrie Center Elementary School
253
Guthrie Center High School
198

How Guthrie Center Comm School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Iowa districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Fremont-Mills Comm School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Central Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
North Tama County Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Gmg Comm School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Belle Plaine Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Guthrie Center 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 Guthrie Center 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 Guthrie Center Comm School District?

Guthrie Center Comm School District has 2 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high. Total enrollment is 470 students.

How much does Guthrie Center Comm School District spend per student?

Guthrie Center Comm School District spends $13,684 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #58 in Iowa.

What is the demographic composition of Guthrie Center Comm School District?

Guthrie Center Comm School District students are 88.9% White, 7.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% African American, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Guthrie Center Comm School District?

Guthrie Center Comm School District has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #58 out of 303 districts in Iowa.