Enrollment
182
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Elkader, IA
Central Middle School/High School
Federal NCES profile for Central Middle School/High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190684000292
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Middle School/High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 27.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 182
- students enrolled
Central Middle School/High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Central Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190684000292 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Middle School/High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Middle School/High School
Central Middle School/High School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Elkader, Iowa, enrolling 182 students.
At 14:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 182 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 285 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #236, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Elkader's public schools, it stands alongside Central Elementary (292 students): Central Middle School/High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14:1 vs 17.2:1).
Its district, Central Comm School District, also runs Central Elementary (292 students).
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central Middle School/High School compares
Central Middle School/High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.6% | ▼ 24% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 182 | top 80% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
182
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 50% in Iowa - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,153
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 94.0%
Two or More 3.8%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
African American 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 94.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.5, Central Middle School/High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Comm School District, which includes Central Middle School/High School.
$12,153
Per student
-5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 44.5%
Federal 12.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Central Middle School/High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Middle School/High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Elkader
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~182 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Middle School/High School's federal record.
- Compare Central Middle School/High School against another school. Compare schools
- Central Comm School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Central Middle School/High School
How many students attend Central Middle School/High School?
Central Middle School/High School has 182 students enrolled. It is a public school in Elkader, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Middle School/High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Middle School/High School is 14:1, which is 5% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 11% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Middle School/High School?
27.6% of students at Central Middle School/High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Middle School/High School?
The largest demographic group at Central Middle School/High School is White at 94.0% of enrollment, in Elkader, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Middle School/High School?
Central Middle School/High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Central Middle School/High School a good school?
Central Middle School/High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Central Comm School District?
Besides Central Middle School/High School, Central Comm School District also operates Central Elementary (292 students). See the Central Comm School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.