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Sheldon, Iowa - 4 schools
An equity score of 45/100 ranks Sheldon Comm School District #177 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,261 per pupil, Sheldon Comm School District ranks #288 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,196
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$11,261
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Sheldon Comm School District operates 4 public schools serving 1,196 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary 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 O'brien County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,261 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 37.8% local, 49.7% state, and 12.4% 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 45/100, ranked #177 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.
a 323.1:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 17.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 65.2% White, 28.8% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Little Orabs Preschool, with a diversity index of 52.5/100.
Its largest campus is East Elementary School, enrolling 468 students (40% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Little Orabs Preschool, at 43 students, a 11x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
East Elementary School accounts for 39.1% of all Sheldon Comm School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Sheldon Comm School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.
Sheldon Comm School District school enrollment varies 11× across entities
Sheldon Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 43 students (lowest) to 468 students (highest), a spread of 425 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.
Sheldon Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 323:1 — 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 Sheldon Comm School District is typically wider than the Sheldon Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Sheldon Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 17.1% — 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 Sheldon Comm School District is typically wider than the Sheldon Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
How many schools are in Sheldon Comm School District?
Sheldon Comm School District has 4 schools, including 2 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,196 students.
How much does Sheldon Comm School District spend per student?
Sheldon Comm School District spends $11,261 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #177 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Sheldon Comm School District?
Sheldon Comm School District students are 65.2% White, 28.8% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% African American, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Sheldon Comm School District?
Sheldon Comm School District has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #177 out of 303 districts in Iowa.