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.
Ottumwa, Iowa - 11 schools
An equity score of 52/100 ranks Ottumwa Comm School District #153 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,042 per pupil, Ottumwa Comm School District ranks #212 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
4,990
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$12,042
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Ottumwa Comm School District operates 11 public schools serving 4,990 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 2 high, 2 combined, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Wapello County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,042 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 19.3% local, 63.3% state, and 17.4% 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 52/100, ranked #153 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 333.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 29.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 49.4% White, 23.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Wilson Elementary School, with a diversity index of 75.8/100.
Its largest campus is Ottumwa High School, enrolling 910 students (20% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Ottumwa Virtual Learning, at 106 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Ottumwa High School accounts for 18.2% of all Ottumwa Comm School District student enrollment
That concentration means Ottumwa 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.
Ottumwa Comm School District school enrollment varies 8.6× across entities
Ottumwa Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 106 students (lowest) to 910 students (highest), a spread of 804 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.
Ottumwa Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 333:1 — 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 Ottumwa Comm School District is typically wider than the Ottumwa Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Ottumwa Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 29.7% — 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 Ottumwa Comm School District is typically wider than the Ottumwa Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Ottumwa Comm School District?
Ottumwa Comm School District has 11 schools, including 2 high, 1 middle, 6 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 4,990 students.
How much does Ottumwa Comm School District spend per student?
Ottumwa Comm School District spends $12,042 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #153 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Ottumwa Comm School District?
Ottumwa Comm School District students are 49.4% White, 23.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% African American, 2.5% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Ottumwa Comm School District?
Ottumwa Comm School District has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #153 out of 303 districts in Iowa.