Johnston Community School District

Listed by NCES as Johnston Comm School District (district ID 1915450)

Public school district · Polk County · Iowa · NCES district ID 1915450

Johnston Community School District spent $12,286 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 60% of the other Iowa districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $12,583). Its 8 schools enrolled 7,339 students in 2024-25; 45.6% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,934 per student, up 5.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 97% (Iowa: 87.5%).

Spending per student among Iowa districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Johnston Community in enrollment (4,990 to 9,225 students) and Johnston Community itself.

Current spending per student, Iowa districts closest in size to Johnston Community, FY23Council Bluffs Comm $15,071; West Des Moines Community Schools $13,914; College Community $12,990; Linn-Mar Community $12,833; Southeast Polk Comm $12,583; Marshalltown Community $12,413; Ottumwa Community $12,314; Johnston Community $12,286; Cedar Falls Comm $11,609; Pleasant Valley Comm $10,618; State median, 1,000+ students $12,583.8k10k12k14k16kCouncil Bluffs Comm$15,071West Des Moines Community Scho…$13,914College Community$12,990Linn-Mar Community$12,833Southeast Polk Comm$12,583Marshalltown Community$12,413Ottumwa Community$12,314Johnston Community$12,286Cedar Falls Comm$11,609Pleasant Valley Comm$10,618State median, 1,000+ students $12,583
Current spending per student, Iowa districts closest in size to Johnston Community, FY23Council Bluffs Comm $15,071; West Des Moines Community Schools $13,914; College Community $12,990; Linn-Mar Community $12,833; Southeast Polk Comm $12,583; Marshalltown Community $12,413; Ottumwa Community $12,314; Johnston Community $12,286; Cedar Falls Comm $11,609; Pleasant Valley Comm $10,618; State median, 1,000+ students $12,583.8k10k12k14k16kCouncil Bluffs Comm$15,071West Des Moines Community Schools$13,914College Community$12,990Linn-Mar Community$12,833Southeast Polk Comm$12,583Marshalltown Community$12,413Ottumwa Community$12,314Johnston Community$12,286Cedar Falls Comm$11,609Pleasant Valley Comm$10,618State median, 1,000+ students $12,583
Current spending per student, Iowa districts closest in size to Johnston Community, FY23Council Bluffs Comm $15,071; West Des Moines Community Schools $13,914; College Community $12,990; Linn-Mar Community $12,833; Southeast Polk Comm $12,583; Marshalltown Community $12,413; Ottumwa Community $12,314; Johnston Community $12,286; Cedar Falls Comm $11,609; Pleasant Valley Comm $10,618; State median, 1,000+ students $12,583.8k12k16kCouncil Bluffs Comm$15,071West Des Moines Community Schools$13,914College Community$12,990Linn-Mar Community$12,833Southeast Polk Comm$12,583Marshalltown Community$12,413Ottumwa Community$12,314Johnston Community$12,286Cedar Falls Comm$11,609Pleasant Valley Comm$10,618State median, 1,000+ students $12,583
Current spending per student, Iowa districts closest in size to Johnston Community, FY23Council Bluffs Comm $15,071; West Des Moines Community Schools $13,914; College Community $12,990; Linn-Mar Community $12,833; Southeast Polk Comm $12,583; Marshalltown Community $12,413; Ottumwa Community $12,314; Johnston Community $12,286; Cedar Falls Comm $11,609; Pleasant Valley Comm $10,618; State median, 1,000+ students $12,583.8k12k16kCouncil Bluffs Comm$15,071West Des Moines Community Schools$13,914College Community$12,990Linn-Mar Community$12,833Southeast Polk Comm$12,583Marshalltown Community$12,413Ottumwa Community$12,314Johnston Community$12,286Cedar Falls Comm$11,609Pleasant Valley Comm$10,618State median, 1,000+ students $12,583

Where the money came from

$131,801,000 in revenue: 45.6% state, 50.4% local and 4.0% federal. Total spending including $3,220,000 of capital outlay was $104,428,000, or $13,948 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Johnston Community School District revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $60,135,000; Local $66,382,000; Federal $5,284,000; total $131,801,000.
  • State$60,135,000 46%
  • Local$66,382,000 50%
  • Federal$5,284,000 4%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 125 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

7,431 students in 2022-23, 7,427 students in 2023-24, 7,339 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Johnston Community School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 7,431, 2023-24: 7,427, 2024-25: 7,33902k4k6k8k2022-237,4312023-247,4272024-257,339
Johnston Community School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 7,431, 2023-24: 7,427, 2024-25: 7,33902k4k6k8k2022-237,4312023-247,4272024-257,339
Johnston Community School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 7,431, 2023-24: 7,427, 2024-25: 7,33902k4k6k8k2022-237,4312023-247,4272024-257,339
Johnston Community School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 7,431, 2023-24: 7,427, 2024-25: 7,33902k4k6k8k2022-237,4312023-247,4272024-257,339

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-237,431446.916.6
2023-247,427440.916.8
2024-257,339457.616.0

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$33,978,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,538 per student

Johnston Community School District booked $33,978,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 453 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $74,947 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 96 in 100 Iowa districts with a figure (state median $63,361, 318 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Iowa teacher salary at $59,262 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$23,956,00070.5%
Special education$4,772,00014.0%
Vocational$1,473,0004.3%
Other programs$3,777,00011.1%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,219 in 2018-19, $4,250 in 2019-20, $4,375 in 2020-21, $4,490 in 2021-22, $4,538 in 2022-23.

Johnston Community School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,219, 2019-20: $4,250, 2020-21: $4,375, 2021-22: $4,490, 2022-23: $4,53802k4k6k2018-19$4,2192019-20$4,2502020-21$4,3752021-22$4,4902022-23$4,538
Johnston Community School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,219, 2019-20: $4,250, 2020-21: $4,375, 2021-22: $4,490, 2022-23: $4,53802k4k6k2018-19$4,2192019-20$4,2502020-21$4,3752021-22$4,4902022-23$4,538
Johnston Community School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,219, 2019-20: $4,250, 2020-21: $4,375, 2021-22: $4,490, 2022-23: $4,53802k4k6k2018-19$4,2192019-20$4,2502020-21$4,3752021-22$4,4902022-23$4,538
Johnston Community School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,219, 2019-20: $4,250, 2020-21: $4,375, 2021-22: $4,490, 2022-23: $4,53802k4k6k2018-19$4,2192019-20$4,2502020-21$4,3752021-22$4,4902022-23$4,538

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Johnston Community School District scored proficient or above: 79% in reading and 77% in math, against 69.7% in reading and 63.8% in math across Iowa. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Iowa, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtIowaStudents tested
Reading and language arts79%69.7%4,878
Math77%63.8%4,878

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

97% of the 586 students in Johnston Community School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Iowa. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtIowa
Four-year graduation rate97%87.5%
Students in the class58638,026

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

5 elementary schools, 3,240 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Henry A Wallace Elementary School84015.710.2%Not Title I
Timber Ridge Elementary66714.123.2%Targeted program
Horizon Elementary61313.930.0%Targeted program
Beaver Creek Elementary School57514.322.8%Targeted program
Lawson Elementary School54513.330.5%Targeted program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 1,118 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Summit Middle School1,11815.422.8%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

2 high schools, 2,981 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Johnston Senior High School1,82020.919.8%Eligible, no program
Johnston Middle School1,16116.322.6%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Johnston Community School District

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Johnston Community School District

  1. Iowa districts by spending per studentJohnston Community School District ranks 76 of 125 Iowa districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,286).#76 of 125
  2. Every school district in IowaJohnston Community School District is the number 13 by size of 328 Iowa districts, with 7,487 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#13 of 328
  3. Linn-Mar Community School DistrictThe next larger Iowa district: 7,690 students in fall 2022, $12,833 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,833
  4. Southeast Polk Comm School DistrictThe next smaller Iowa district: 7,397 students in fall 2022, $12,583 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,583
  5. Compare Johnston Community School District with Linn-Mar Community School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Johnston Senior High School, its largest high school1,820 students in 2024-25, 20.9 per teacher.1,820
  7. Teacher salary spending across IowaJohnston Community School District spent $74,947 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $63,361); spending, not a salary.$74,947
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Johnston Community School District

  1. How many schools and students are in Johnston Community School District?
    8 schools were open in 2024-25 (5 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 7,339 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Johnston Community School District spend per student?
    $12,286 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Iowa median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,583 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,934 per student, up 5.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Johnston Community School District's money come from?
    $131,801,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 45.6% state, 50.4% local and 4.0% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Johnston Community School District live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 533 of the 8,293 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 6.4%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Johnston Community School District spend on teacher salaries?
    $33,978,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,538 per student. Divided by the 453 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $74,947 per teacher, more than 96 in 100 Iowa districts (state median $63,361). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Iowa teacher salary at $59,262 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Johnston Community School District do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Johnston Community School District scored proficient or above: 79% in reading and 77% in math, against 69.7% in reading and 63.8% in math across Iowa. Iowa's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Johnston Community School District?
    97% of the 586 students in Johnston Community School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 87.5% across Iowa. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Johnston Community School District's NCES district ID?
    1915450. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25