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Cresco, Iowa - 3 schools
An equity score of 81/100 ranks Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District #21 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,437 per pupil, Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District ranks #77 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,060
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,437
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District operates 3 public schools serving 1,060 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 elementary 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 Howard County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,437 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 40.5% local, 47.2% state, and 12.3% 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 81/100, ranked #21 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 3 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 266.4:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 37.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 87.9% White, 8.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Crestwood Elementary School, with a diversity index of 29.1/100.
Crestwood Elementary School accounts for 32.9% of all Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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.
Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District school enrollment varies 8.1× across entities
Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 43 students (lowest) to 349 students (highest), a spread of 306 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.
Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 266:1 — 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 Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District is typically wider than the Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 37.5% — 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.
Comparisons are relative to Howard-Winneshiek 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 Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District?
Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District has 3 schools, including 1 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,060 students.
How much does Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District spend per student?
Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District spends $13,437 per student. The district has an equity score of 81/100, ranking #21 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District?
Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District students are 87.9% White, 8.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District?
Howard-Winneshiek Comm School District has an equity score of 81/100, ranking #21 out of 303 districts in Iowa.