Enrollment
255
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Nora Springs, IA
Central Springs Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Central Springs Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192076001236
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Springs Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Iowa schools.
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 33.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 255
- students enrolled
Central Springs Middle School has class sizes larger than 76% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Central Springs Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192076001236 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Springs Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Springs Middle School
Central Springs Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Nora Springs, Iowa, enrolling 255 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.9% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 255 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 432 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #194.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 255 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Central Springs Comm School District also operates Central Springs High School (236 students) and Central Springs Elem. School - Nora Springs (145 students) alongside Central Springs Middle School.
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 Springs Middle School compares
Central Springs Middle 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.9% | ▼ 7% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 255 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
255
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 76% in Iowa - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,300
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 255 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
15
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 90.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.3%
Two or More 2.8%
African American 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 90.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.1, Central Springs Middle School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Springs Comm School District, which includes Central Springs Middle School.
$12,300
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.1%
State 45.1%
Federal 10.8%
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 Springs Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Springs High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Central Springs Elem. School - Nora Springs | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Springs Elem. Manly Campus | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Springs Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 236
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 145
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 143
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
Similar elementary 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 (~255 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Springs Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Central Springs Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Central Springs 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 Springs Middle School
How many students attend Central Springs Middle School?
Central Springs Middle School has 255 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Nora Springs, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Springs Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Springs Middle School is 15.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Springs Middle School?
33.9% of students at Central Springs Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Springs Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Central Springs Middle School is White at 90.9% of enrollment, in Nora Springs, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Springs Middle School?
Central Springs Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Central Springs Middle School a good school?
Central Springs Middle School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Iowa schools. 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 Springs Comm School District?
Besides Central Springs Middle School, Central Springs Comm School District also operates Central Springs High School (236 students), Central Springs Elem. School - Nora Springs (145 students), and Central Springs Elem. Manly Campus (143 students). See the Central Springs 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.