Humboldt 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.

Dakota City, Iowa - 4 schools

An equity score of 29/100 ranks Humboldt Comm School District #248 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,358 per pupil, Humboldt Comm School District ranks #276 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,516
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$11,358
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Humboldt Comm School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,516 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 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 Humboldt County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,358 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending. See how Iowa compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 43.2% local, 44.9% state, and 11.9% 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 29/100, ranked #248 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 429:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 9.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 83.2% White, 12.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Clyde D Mease Elementary School, with a diversity index of 33.9/100.

Its largest campus is Humboldt High School, enrolling 464 students (33% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Clyde D Mease Elementary School, at 139 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Humboldt High School accounts for 30.6% of all Humboldt Comm School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Humboldt 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.

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

Humboldt Comm School District school enrollment varies 3.3× across entities

Humboldt Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 139 students (lowest) to 464 students (highest), a spread of 325 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

Humboldt Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 429:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Humboldt Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 9.3% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

11.9%
Federal
44.9%
State
43.2%
Local

Funding Equity

29
Equity Score
248 / 303
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Humboldt Comm School District.

White 83.2%
Hispanic or Latino 12.6%
African American 0.6%
Multiracial 3.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 29.0/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Clyde D Mease Elementary School 33.9
  2. 2 Taft Elementary School 29.1
  3. 3 Humboldt High School 28.1
  4. 4 Humboldt Middle School 24.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 4
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
429:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
9.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Humboldt Comm School District

School Enrollment
Humboldt High School
464
Humboldt Middle School
454
Taft Elementary School
369
Clyde D Mease Elementary School
139

How Humboldt Comm School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Iowa districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Harlan Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Solon Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Fairfield Comm School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Independence Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Clear Lake Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Humboldt 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 Humboldt 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 Humboldt Comm School District?

Humboldt Comm School District has 4 schools, including 1 high, 2 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 1,516 students.

How much does Humboldt Comm School District spend per student?

Humboldt Comm School District spends $11,358 per student. The district has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #248 in Iowa.

What is the demographic composition of Humboldt Comm School District?

Humboldt Comm School District students are 83.2% White, 12.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Humboldt Comm School District?

Humboldt Comm School District has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #248 out of 303 districts in Iowa.