Enrollment
329
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cherokee, IA
Cherokee Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Cherokee Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190717000335
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherokee Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Cherokee · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 36.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Cherokee Middle School has class sizes larger than 74% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Cherokee, IA.
School address
District: Cherokee Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190717000335 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cherokee Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cherokee Middle School
Cherokee Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Cherokee, Iowa, enrolling 329 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.1% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 329 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 462 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #303.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 439 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Cherokee Comm School District also operates Cherokee Elementary School (468 students) and Washington High School (366 students) alongside Cherokee 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 Cherokee Middle School compares
Cherokee 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 | 15.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.1% | ▼ 1% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 329 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
329
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 74% in Iowa - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,834
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
Counselors0.8 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 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 83.9%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 1.2%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 83.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.3, Cherokee 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 Cherokee Comm School District, which includes Cherokee Middle School.
$10,834
Per student
-16%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.5%
State 50.5%
Federal 10.0%
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 Cherokee Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cherokee Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~329 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherokee Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Cherokee Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Cherokee 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 Cherokee Middle School
How many students attend Cherokee Middle School?
Cherokee Middle School has 329 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cherokee, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Middle School is 15.7:1, which is 6% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cherokee Middle School?
36.1% of students at Cherokee Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cherokee Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Cherokee Middle School is White at 83.9% of enrollment, in Cherokee, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherokee Middle School?
Cherokee Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical 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).
How does Cherokee Middle School rank among public schools in Cherokee?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Cherokee, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cherokee on the city page.
Is Cherokee Middle School a good school?
Cherokee Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Cherokee Comm School District?
Besides Cherokee Middle School, Cherokee Comm School District also operates Cherokee Elementary School (468 students) and Washington High School (366 students). See the Cherokee 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.