Enrollment
193
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Clarion, IA
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 190738000348
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 61
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Clarion · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 46.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School has class sizes larger than 87% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Clarion, IA.
School address
District: Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190738000348 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Clarion, Iowa, enrolling 193 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.5:1 is larger than about 87% of Iowa schools and 18% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 46.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 193 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 209 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #69.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 193 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Comm School District also operates Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Elementary School (469 students) and Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School (291 students) alongside Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 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 Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School compares
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 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 | 17.5:1 | ▲ 18% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.1% | ▲ 27% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 193 | top 78% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
193
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 87% in Iowa - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,460
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 193 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Comm School District, which includes Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School.
$13,460
Per student
+5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.3%
State 42.1%
Federal 11.6%
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 Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 469
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 291
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle 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 (~193 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 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 Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School
How many students attend Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School?
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School has 193 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Clarion, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School is 17.5:1, which is 18% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School?
46.1% of students at Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School?
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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).
How does Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School rank among public schools in Clarion?
By Resource Investment Index, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Clarion, 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 Clarion on the city page.
Is Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School a good school?
Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Comm School District?
Besides Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Middle School, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Comm School District also operates Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Elementary School (469 students) and Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School (291 students). See the Clarion-Goldfield-Dows 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.