Southeast Polk Comm School District

Altoona, Iowa — 11 schools

7,397
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$17,121
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Southeast Polk Comm School District operates 11 public schools serving 7,397 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 other, 2 middle, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 7,447 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Polk County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,121 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 37.9% local, 52.1% state, and 10.0% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $78,406 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 63/100, ranked #86 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (15 AP courses district-wide), a 523.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 23.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 70.4% White, 10.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% African American across the district's schools.

Southeast Polk High School accounts for 23.1% of all Southeast Polk Comm School District student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Southeast Polk 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Southeast Polk Comm School District school enrollment varies 6.8× across entities

Southeast Polk Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 255 students (lowest) to 1,722 students (highest), a spread of 1,467 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Southeast Polk Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 524:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Southeast Polk Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 23.0% — 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 Southeast Polk Comm School District is typically wider than the Southeast Polk Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

10.0%
Federal
52.1%
State
37.9%
Local

Funding Equity

63
Equity Score
86 / 303
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Polk County county, where this district is located.

$1,063
Studio/mo
$1,109
1 BR/mo
$1,318
2 BR/mo
$1,794
3 BR/mo
$1,841
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$78,406
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 11 schools in Southeast Polk Comm School District.

White 70.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%
African American 9.1%
Asian 2.7%
Multiracial 6.5%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
15 AP courses total
523.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
23.0%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Southeast Polk Comm School District

School Enrollment
Southeast Polk High School
1,722
Spring Creek - 6th Grade
1,112
Southeast Polk Junior High
1,088
Clay Elementary
700
Willowbrook Elementary
523
Four Mile Elementary
495
Delaware Elementary
440
Altoona Elementary
429
Centennial Elementary
423
Runnells Elementary
260
Mitchellville Elementary
255

Nearby Districts in Iowa

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Southeast Polk Comm School District?

Southeast Polk Comm School District has 11 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 8 other. Total enrollment is 7,397 students.

How much does Southeast Polk Comm School District spend per student?

Southeast Polk Comm School District spends $17,121 per student. The district has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #86 in Iowa.

What is the average teacher salary in Southeast Polk Comm School District?

The average teacher salary in Southeast Polk Comm School District is $78,406 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near Southeast Polk Comm School District?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Polk County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Southeast Polk Comm School District?

Southeast Polk Comm School District students are 70.4% White, 10.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% African American, 2.7% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Southeast Polk Comm School District?

Southeast Polk Comm School District has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #86 out of 303 districts in Iowa. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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Full national footprint

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Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

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Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
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Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.