Enrollment
594
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Marion, IA
Excelsior Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Excelsior Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 191722001005
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Excelsior Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #7 of 15
- public schools in Marion · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.9:1
- students per teacher
- 23.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Excelsior Middle School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Excelsior Middle School ranks #7 of 15 public schools in Marion, IA.
School address
District: Linn-Mar Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191722001005 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Excelsior Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Excelsior Middle School
Excelsior Middle School is a large middle school in Marion, Iowa, enrolling 594 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 594 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 250 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #107.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (6%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Marion's middle schools, it stands alongside Oak Ridge School (534 students): Excelsior Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.9:1 vs 14.1:1).
Linn-Mar Comm School District also operates Linn-Mar High School (2,229 students) and Boulder Peak Intermediate School (613 students) alongside Excelsior 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 Excelsior Middle School compares
Excelsior 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 | 12.9:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.5% | ▼ 35% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 594 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.9:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
594
Bigger than 72% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
12.9:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 34% in Iowa - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.3%
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
$12,349
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
Counselors1.9 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.7 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 79.1%
Two or More 6.1%
African American 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.9%
Asian 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.3, Excelsior 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 Linn-Mar Comm School District, which includes Excelsior Middle School.
$12,349
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.3%
State 50.8%
Federal 7.9%
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 Excelsior Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linn-Mar High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Boulder Peak Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hazel Point Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Echo Hill Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Oak Ridge School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Excelsior Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,229
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 563
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 536
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle schools in Marion
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~594 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Excelsior Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Excelsior Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Linn-Mar 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 Excelsior Middle School
How many students attend Excelsior Middle School?
Excelsior Middle School has 594 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Marion, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Excelsior Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Excelsior Middle School is 12.9:1, which is 13% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 18% 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 Excelsior Middle School?
23.5% of students at Excelsior Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Excelsior Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Excelsior Middle School is White at 79.1% of enrollment, in Marion, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Excelsior Middle School?
Excelsior Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Excelsior Middle School rank among public schools in Marion?
By Resource Investment Index, Excelsior Middle School ranks #7 of 15 public schools in Marion, 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 Marion on the city page.
Is Excelsior Middle School a good school?
Excelsior Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Linn-Mar Comm School District?
Besides Excelsior Middle School, Linn-Mar Comm School District also operates Linn-Mar High School (2,229 students), Boulder Peak Intermediate School (613 students), and Hazel Point Intermediate School (563 students). See the Linn-Mar 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.