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Oelwein, Iowa - 5 schools
An equity score of 65/100 ranks Oelwein Comm School District #82 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,185 per pupil, Oelwein Comm School District ranks #98 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,345
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$13,185
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Oelwein Comm School District operates 5 public schools serving 1,345 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 2 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 Fayette County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,185 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 29.9% local, 50.0% state, and 20.2% 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 65/100, ranked #82 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 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 277.9:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 38.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.7% White, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Wings Park Elementary School, with a diversity index of 36.3/100.
Its largest campus is Oelwein Middle School, enrolling 350 students (26% of the district's total enrollment).
Oelwein Middle School accounts for 26.0% of all Oelwein Comm School District student enrollment
That concentration means Oelwein 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.
Oelwein Comm School District school enrollment varies 2.0× across entities
Oelwein Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 173 students (lowest) to 350 students (highest), a spread of 177 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.
Oelwein Comm School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 51.4% 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.
Oelwein Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 278:1 — 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 Oelwein Comm School District is typically wider than the Oelwein Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Oelwein Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 38.8% — 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.
How many schools are in Oelwein Comm School District?
Oelwein Comm School District has 5 schools, including 2 elementary, 1 high, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,345 students.
How much does Oelwein Comm School District spend per student?
Oelwein Comm School District spends $13,185 per student. The district has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #82 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Oelwein Comm School District?
Oelwein Comm School District students are 81.7% White, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Oelwein Comm School District?
Oelwein Comm School District has an equity score of 65/100, ranking #82 out of 303 districts in Iowa.