Enrollment
818
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Indianola, IA
Indianola Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Indianola Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 191464000875
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Indianola Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Indianola · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 28.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Indianola Middle School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Indianola Middle School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Indianola, IA.
School address
District: Indianola Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191464000875 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Indianola Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Indianola Middle School
Indianola Middle School is a large middle school in Indianola, Iowa, enrolling 818 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger 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.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 93% of state schools at 818 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 141 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #15, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 205 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Indianola Comm School District also operates Indianola High School (1,165 students) and Wilder Elementary School (456 students) alongside Indianola 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 Indianola Middle School compares
Indianola 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.7% | ▼ 21% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 818 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
818
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 64% in Iowa - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.9%
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
$11,417
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 205 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
124
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.3 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 88.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 88.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.2, Indianola 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 Indianola Comm School District, which includes Indianola Middle School.
$11,417
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 52.4%
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 Indianola Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianola High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilder Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Emerson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Irving Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whittier Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Indianola Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 456
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 395
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~818 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Indianola Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Indianola Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Indianola 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 Indianola Middle School
How many students attend Indianola Middle School?
Indianola Middle School has 818 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Indianola, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Indianola Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Indianola Middle School is 14.9:1, which is 1% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Indianola Middle School?
28.7% of students at Indianola Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Indianola Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Indianola Middle School is White at 88.5% of enrollment, in Indianola, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Indianola Middle School?
Indianola Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Indianola Middle School rank among public schools in Indianola?
By Resource Investment Index, Indianola Middle School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Indianola, 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 Indianola on the city page.
Is Indianola Middle School a good school?
Indianola Middle School earns 51/100 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 Indianola Comm School District?
Besides Indianola Middle School, Indianola Comm School District also operates Indianola High School (1,165 students), Wilder Elementary School (456 students), and Emerson Elementary School (396 students). See the Indianola 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.