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Tama, Iowa - 3 schools
An equity score of 80/100 ranks South Tama County #23 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,087 per pupil, South Tama County ranks #105 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
1,488
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,087
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
South Tama County operates 3 public schools serving 1,488 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 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 Tama County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,087 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 29.8% local, 56.6% state, and 13.7% 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 80/100, ranked #23 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.
a 235.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 28.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.9% White, 38.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is South Tama County High School, with a diversity index of 63.5/100.
South Tama County Elementary School accounts for 35.9% of all South Tama County student enrollment
That dominant concentration means South Tama County-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.
South Tama County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 53.2% 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.
South Tama County student-counselor ratio is 236:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
South Tama County chronic absenteeism rate is 28.7% — 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 South Tama County is typically wider than the South Tama County-aggregate figure suggests.
South Tama County has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,488 students.
How much does South Tama County spend per student?
South Tama County spends $13,087 per student. The district has an equity score of 80/100, ranking #23 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of South Tama County?
South Tama County students are 45.9% White, 38.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% Asian, 0.8% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for South Tama County?
South Tama County has an equity score of 80/100, ranking #23 out of 303 districts in Iowa.