Enrollment
259
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Creston, IA
Creston Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Creston Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 190831001237
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Creston Middle School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Creston · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.4:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 50.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Creston Middle School has class sizes smaller than 92% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Creston Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Creston, IA.
School address
District: Creston Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190831001237 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Creston Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Creston Middle School
Creston Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Creston, Iowa, enrolling 259 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.4:1, Creston Middle School is leaner than roughly 92% of Iowa schools and 30% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 259 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 220 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #95.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 259 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 105 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 259 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Creston Comm School District also operates Creston High School (486 students) and Creston Elementary School (416 students) alongside Creston 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 Creston Middle School compares
Creston 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 | 10.4:1 | ▼ 30% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.5% | ▲ 39% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 259 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.4:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
259
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
10.4:1
students per teacher
- 30% below state mean
Top 8% in Iowa - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.9%
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
$12,291
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 259 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 40.5 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 88.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 1.5%
Largest group: White at 88.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.2, Creston 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 Creston Comm School District, which includes Creston Middle School.
$12,291
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.0%
State 48.9%
Federal 14.1%
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 Creston Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creston High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Creston Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Creston Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Creston Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 416
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 142
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~259 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Creston Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Creston Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Creston 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 Creston Middle School
How many students attend Creston Middle School?
Creston Middle School has 259 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Creston, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Creston Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Creston Middle School is 10.4:1, which is 30% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 34% 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 Creston Middle School?
50.5% of students at Creston Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Creston Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Creston Middle School is White at 88.4% of enrollment, in Creston, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Creston Middle School?
Creston Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Creston Middle School rank among public schools in Creston?
By Resource Investment Index, Creston Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Creston, 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 Creston on the city page.
Is Creston Middle School a good school?
Creston Middle School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% 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 Creston Comm School District?
Besides Creston Middle School, Creston Comm School District also operates Creston High School (486 students), Creston Elementary School (416 students), and Creston Early Childhood Center (142 students). See the Creston 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.