Enrollment
432
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Decorah, IA
Decorah Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Decorah Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190873000498
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Decorah Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Decorah · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 21.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Decorah Middle School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Decorah Middle School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Decorah, IA.
School address
District: Decorah Community School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190873000498 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Decorah Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Decorah Middle School
Decorah Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Decorah, Iowa, enrolling 432 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 432 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 370 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #101.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 432 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Decorah's elementary schools, it stands alongside Carrie Lee Elementary (215 students): Decorah Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.3:1 vs 14.3:1).
Decorah Community School District also operates Decorah High School (555 students) and John Cline Elementary School (300 students) alongside Decorah 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 Decorah Middle School compares
Decorah 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 17% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.9% | ▼ 40% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 432 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
432
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 26% in Iowa - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
11.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,274
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 432 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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 87.7%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Two or More 3.5%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 87.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.5, Decorah 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 Decorah Community School District, which includes Decorah Middle School.
$13,274
Per student
+3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.6%
State 43.0%
Federal 9.3%
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 Decorah Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decorah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Cline Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carrie Lee Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Decorah Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 215
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar elementary schools in Decorah
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~432 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Decorah Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Decorah Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Decorah Community 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 Decorah Middle School
How many students attend Decorah Middle School?
Decorah Middle School has 432 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Decorah, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Decorah Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Decorah Middle School is 12.3:1, which is 17% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 22% 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 Decorah Middle School?
21.9% of students at Decorah Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Decorah Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Decorah Middle School is White at 87.7% of enrollment, in Decorah, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Decorah Middle School?
Decorah Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Decorah Middle School rank among public schools in Decorah?
By Resource Investment Index, Decorah Middle School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Decorah, 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 Decorah on the city page.
Is Decorah Middle School a good school?
Decorah Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Decorah Community School District?
Besides Decorah Middle School, Decorah Community School District also operates Decorah High School (555 students), John Cline Elementary School (300 students), and Carrie Lee Elementary (215 students). See the Decorah Community 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.