Enrollment
502
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Denison, IA
Denison Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Denison Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 190891000509
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Denison Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Denison · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 55.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Denison Middle School has class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Denison Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Denison, IA.
School address
District: Denison Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190891000509 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Denison Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Denison Middle School
Denison Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Denison, Iowa, enrolling 502 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 55.0% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 502 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 178 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #71.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (66%) and White (27%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 502 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Denison Comm School District also operates Denison High School (777 students) and Denison Elementary School (691 students) alongside Denison 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 Denison Middle School compares
Denison 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.0% | ▲ 51% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 502 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
502
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 78% in Iowa - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.9%
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
$12,439
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 502 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 65.9%
White 26.5%
African American 4.2%
Asian 2.8%
Two or More 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 65.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.3, Denison Middle School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Denison Comm School District, which includes Denison Middle School.
$12,439
Per student
-3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.6%
State 57.4%
Federal 21.1%
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 Denison Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denison High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Denison Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Broadway Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Denison Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 777
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 288
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~502 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Denison Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Denison Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Denison 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 Denison Middle School
How many students attend Denison Middle School?
Denison Middle School has 502 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Denison, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Denison Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Denison Middle School is 16.2:1, which is 9% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Denison Middle School?
55.0% of students at Denison Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Denison Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Denison Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 65.9% of enrollment, in Denison, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Denison Middle School?
Denison Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Denison Middle School rank among public schools in Denison?
By Resource Investment Index, Denison Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Denison, 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 Denison on the city page.
Is Denison Middle School a good school?
Denison Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Denison Comm School District?
Besides Denison Middle School, Denison Comm School District also operates Denison High School (777 students), Denison Elementary School (691 students), and Broadway Elementary School (288 students). See the Denison 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.