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Storm Lake, Iowa - 6 schools
An equity score of 60/100 ranks Storm Lake Comm School District #108 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,490 per pupil, Storm Lake Comm School District ranks #160 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
2,882
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$12,490
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Storm Lake Comm School District operates 6 public schools serving 2,882 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 2 high, 1 combined 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 Buena Vista County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,490 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 28.1% local, 57.8% state, and 14.1% 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 60/100, ranked #108 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 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 300.3:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 26.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 56.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% White, 12.8% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Storm Lake Elementary, with a diversity index of 64.2/100.
Storm Lake High School accounts for 29.0% of all Storm Lake Comm School District student enrollment
That dominant concentration means Storm Lake 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.
Storm Lake Comm School District school enrollment varies 17× across entities
Storm Lake Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 50 students (lowest) to 851 students (highest), a spread of 801 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.
Storm Lake Comm School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 50.6% 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.
Storm Lake Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 300:1 — 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 Storm Lake Comm School District is typically wider than the Storm Lake Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Storm Lake Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 26.8% — 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 Storm Lake Comm School District is typically wider than the Storm Lake Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.
Comparisons are relative to Storm Lake Comm School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Iowa
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Storm Lake Comm School District?
Storm Lake Comm School District has 6 schools, including 2 high, 3 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 2,882 students.
How much does Storm Lake Comm School District spend per student?
Storm Lake Comm School District spends $12,490 per student. The district has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #108 in Iowa.
What is the demographic composition of Storm Lake Comm School District?
Storm Lake Comm School District students are 56.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% White, 12.8% Asian, 4.3% African American, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Storm Lake Comm School District?
Storm Lake Comm School District has an equity score of 60/100, ranking #108 out of 303 districts in Iowa.