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Newton, Iowa - 7 schools
An equity score of 72/100 ranks Newton Comm School District #45 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,608 per pupil, Newton Comm School District ranks #147 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,857
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$12,608
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Newton Comm School District operates 7 public schools serving 2,857 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 2 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 Jasper County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,608 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 32.4% local, 54.9% state, and 12.7% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 72/100, ranked #45 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 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 336.3:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 29.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.3% White, 8.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Emerson Hough Elementary School, with a diversity index of 42.3/100.
Its largest campus is Newton Senior High School, enrolling 806 students (27% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is West Academy Alternative School, at 51 students, a 16x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Newton Senior High School accounts for 27.4% of all Newton Comm School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Newton 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.
Newton Comm School District school enrollment varies 16× across entities
Newton Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 51 students (lowest) to 806 students (highest), a spread of 755 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.
Newton Comm School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 52.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Newton Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 336:1 — 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 Newton Comm School District is typically wider than the Newton Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Newton Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 29.2% — 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 Newton Comm School District is typically wider than the Newton Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Newton Comm School District?
Newton Comm School District has 7 schools, including 2 high, 4 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 2,857 students.
How much does Newton Comm School District spend per student?
Newton Comm School District spends $12,608 per student. The district has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #45 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Newton Comm School District?
Newton Comm School District students are 81.3% White, 8.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.6% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Newton Comm School District?
Newton Comm School District has an equity score of 72/100, ranking #45 out of 303 districts in Iowa.