Enrollment
420
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grinnell, IA
Grinnell Community Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Grinnell Community Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 191320000793
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Grinnell Community Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Grinnell · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 28.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Grinnell Community Middle School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Grinnell Community Middle School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Grinnell, IA.
School address
District: Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191320000793 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Grinnell Community Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Grinnell Community Middle School
Grinnell Community Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Grinnell, Iowa, enrolling 420 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 420 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 423 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #179.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 210 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Grinnell's elementary schools, it stands alongside Davis Elementary School (213 students): Grinnell Community Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 16.4:1).
Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District also operates Grinnell Community Senior High School (512 students) and Fairview Elementary School (242 students) alongside Grinnell Community 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 Grinnell Community Middle School compares
Grinnell Community 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 16% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.7% | ▼ 21% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 420 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
420
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 27% in Iowa - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.8%
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
$13,305
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 210 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.0 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 85.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Two or More 5.7%
African American 2.4%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.0, Grinnell Community 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 Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District, which includes Grinnell Community Middle School.
$13,305
Per student
+4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.2%
State 49.2%
Federal 9.6%
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 Grinnell Community Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grinnell Community Senior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairview Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Davis Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bailey Park Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Grinnell Community Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 242
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 213
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 147
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar elementary schools in Grinnell
2 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 (~420 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Grinnell Community Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Grinnell Community Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Grinnell-Newburg 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 Grinnell Community Middle School
How many students attend Grinnell Community Middle School?
Grinnell Community Middle School has 420 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grinnell, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Grinnell Community Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Grinnell Community Middle School is 12.4:1, which is 16% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 21% 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 Grinnell Community Middle School?
28.7% of students at Grinnell Community Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Grinnell Community Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Grinnell Community Middle School is White at 85.0% of enrollment, in Grinnell, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Grinnell Community Middle School?
Grinnell Community Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Grinnell Community Middle School rank among elementary schools in Grinnell?
By Resource Investment Index, Grinnell Community Middle School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Grinnell, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Grinnell on the city page.
Is Grinnell Community Middle School a good school?
Grinnell Community Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District?
Besides Grinnell Community Middle School, Grinnell-Newburg Comm School District also operates Grinnell Community Senior High School (512 students), Fairview Elementary School (242 students), and Davis Elementary School (213 students). See the Grinnell-Newburg 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.