Wapsie Valley Comm School District

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.

Fairbank, Iowa - 7 schools

An equity score of 39/100 ranks Wapsie Valley Comm School District #205 of 303 districts in Iowa (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,349 per pupil, Wapsie Valley Comm School District ranks #175 of 327 Iowa districts by per-pupil spending (Iowa districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

709
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$12,349
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Wapsie Valley Comm School District operates 7 public schools serving 709 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Iowa. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 elementary, 3 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 Bremer County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,349 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 41.8% local, 49.9% state, and 8.3% 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 39/100, ranked #205 of 303 in Iowa against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (1 AP courses district-wide), a 273:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 13.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 96.4% White, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Readlyn Elementary School, with a diversity index of 17.2/100.

Its largest campus is Wapsie Valley High School, enrolling 273 students (42% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Rural Elementary School #3, at 15 students, a 18x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Wapsie Valley High School accounts for 38.5% of all Wapsie Valley Comm School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Wapsie Valley 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.

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

Wapsie Valley Comm School District school enrollment varies 18× across entities

Wapsie Valley Comm School District school enrollment ranges from 15 students (lowest) to 273 students (highest), a spread of 258 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.

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

Wapsie Valley Comm School District student-counselor ratio is 273:1 — 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 Wapsie Valley Comm School District is typically wider than the Wapsie Valley Comm School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Wapsie Valley Comm School District chronic absenteeism rate is 13.7% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Where does the funding come from?

8.3%
Federal
49.9%
State
41.8%
Local

Funding Equity

39
Equity Score
205 / 303
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 7 schools in Wapsie Valley Comm School District.

White 96.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%
Multiracial 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 6.9/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Wapsie Valley Comm School District's schools, below the Iowa average of 33.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Readlyn Elementary School 17.2
  2. 2 Fairbank Elementary School 12.2
  3. 3 Wapsie Valley High School 11.8
  4. 4 Rural Elementary School #1 0.0
  5. 5 Rural Elementary School #2 0.0

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
1 AP courses total
273:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
13.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Wapsie Valley Comm School District

School Enrollment
Wapsie Valley High School
273
Fairbank Elementary School
187
Readlyn Elementary School
107
Rural Elementary School #1
29
Rural Elementary School #2
24
Rural Elementary School #4
17
Rural Elementary School #3
15

How Wapsie Valley Comm School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Iowa districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Ikm-Manning Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
East Marshall Comm School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Maquoketa Valley Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Lawton-Bronson Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Lisbon Comm School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Wapsie Valley 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.

Compare Wapsie Valley Comm School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Des Moines Independent Comm School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Wapsie Valley Comm School District?

Wapsie Valley Comm School District has 7 schools, including 3 combined, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 709 students.

How much does Wapsie Valley Comm School District spend per student?

Wapsie Valley Comm School District spends $12,349 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #205 in Iowa.

What is the demographic composition of Wapsie Valley Comm School District?

Wapsie Valley Comm School District students are 96.4% White, 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% African American, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Wapsie Valley Comm School District?

Wapsie Valley Comm School District has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #205 out of 303 districts in Iowa.