Enrollment
298
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Centerville, IA
Howar Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Howar Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 190675000279
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howar Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Centerville · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 46.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Howar Middle School has class sizes larger than 87% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howar Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Centerville, IA.
School address
District: Centerville Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190675000279 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howar Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howar Middle School
Howar Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Centerville, Iowa, enrolling 298 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.5:1 is larger than about 87% of Iowa schools and 18% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 46.2% of students eligible for free meals.
With 298 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 324 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #313, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Centerville Comm School District also operates Lakeview Elementary (498 students) and Centerville High School (368 students) alongside Howar 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 Howar Middle School compares
Howar 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 | 17.5:1 | ▲ 18% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.2% | ▲ 27% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 298 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
298
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 87% in Iowa - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
54.0%
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
$12,191
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 33 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.4 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
White 88.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 1.0%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 88.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.9, Howar 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 Centerville Comm School District, which includes Howar Middle School.
$12,191
Per student
-5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.5%
State 55.1%
Federal 17.4%
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 Howar Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeview Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Centerville High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Centerville Community Preschool Bldg | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howar Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 498
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 368
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 60
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
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 (~298 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howar Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Howar Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Centerville 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 Howar Middle School
How many students attend Howar Middle School?
Howar Middle School has 298 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Centerville, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howar Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Howar Middle School is 17.5:1, which is 18% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howar Middle School?
46.2% of students at Howar Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howar Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Howar Middle School is White at 88.6% of enrollment, in Centerville, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howar Middle School?
Howar Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Howar Middle School rank among public schools in Centerville?
By Resource Investment Index, Howar Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Centerville, 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 Centerville on the city page.
Is Howar Middle School a good school?
Howar Middle School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Centerville Comm School District?
Besides Howar Middle School, Centerville Comm School District also operates Lakeview Elementary (498 students), Centerville High School (368 students), and Centerville Community Preschool Bldg (60 students). See the Centerville 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.