Enrollment
376
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Dodge, IA
Early Childhood Center
Federal NCES profile for Early Childhood Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191182002171
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Early Childhood Center earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Fort Dodge · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.7:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 51.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Early Childhood Center has class sizes larger than 74% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Early Childhood Center ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Fort Dodge, IA.
School address
District: Fort Dodge Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191182002171 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Early Childhood Center compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Early Childhood Center
Early Childhood Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Dodge, Iowa, enrolling 376 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 51.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 376 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 252 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #233, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 376 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fort Dodge Comm School District also operates Fort Dodge High School (1,020 students) and Fort Dodge Middle School (765 students) alongside Early Childhood Center.
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 Early Childhood Center compares
Early Childhood Center 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 | 51.4% | ▲ 41% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 376 | top 37% | - | - |
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.
376
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
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
27.1%
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
$12,309
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 376 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 63.0%
Hispanic or Latino 17.0%
Two or More 12.2%
African American 7.4%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 63.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.4, Early Childhood Center is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Dodge Comm School District, which includes Early Childhood Center.
$12,309
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.4%
State 48.2%
Federal 20.4%
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 Early Childhood Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Dodge High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fort Dodge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Duncombe Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Butler Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Cooper Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Early Childhood Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,020
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 765
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 231
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
Similar other 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 (~376 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Early Childhood Center's federal record.
- Compare Early Childhood Center against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Dodge 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 Early Childhood Center
How many students attend Early Childhood Center?
Early Childhood Center has 376 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Dodge, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Early Childhood Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Early Childhood Center 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 Early Childhood Center?
51.4% of students at Early Childhood Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Early Childhood Center?
The largest demographic group at Early Childhood Center is White at 63.0% of enrollment, in Fort Dodge, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Early Childhood Center?
Early Childhood Center has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Early Childhood Center rank among public schools in Fort Dodge?
By Resource Investment Index, Early Childhood Center ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Fort Dodge, 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 Fort Dodge on the city page.
Is Early Childhood Center a good school?
Early Childhood Center earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fort Dodge Comm School District?
Besides Early Childhood Center, Fort Dodge Comm School District also operates Fort Dodge High School (1,020 students), Fort Dodge Middle School (765 students), and Duncombe Elementary School (438 students). See the Fort Dodge 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.