Enrollment
146
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Lake Mills, IA
Lake Mills Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Lake Mills Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 191611000964
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Mills Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Lake Mills · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.3:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 31.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Mills Middle School has class sizes larger than 90% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Mills Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Lake Mills, IA.
School address
District: Lake Mills Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191611000964 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Mills Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Mills Middle School
Lake Mills Middle School is a small middle school in Lake Mills, Iowa, enrolling 146 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.3:1 is larger than about 90% of Iowa schools and 24% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 31.7% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 146 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 206 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #180, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 34/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Lake Mills Comm School District also operates Lake Mills Elementary School (303 students) and Lake Mills Senior High School (193 students) alongside Lake Mills 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 Lake Mills Middle School compares
Lake Mills 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 | 18.3:1 | ▲ 24% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.7% | ▼ 13% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 146 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
146
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 90% in Iowa - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.1%
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
$12,137
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
6
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.1 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 80.1%
Hispanic or Latino 13.7%
Two or More 4.1%
African American 2.1%
Largest group: White at 80.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.8, Lake Mills Middle School is about as mixed as the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lake Mills Comm School District, which includes Lake Mills Middle School.
$12,137
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 42.6%
Federal 8.8%
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 Lake Mills Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mills Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lake Mills Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Mills Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 303
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 193
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~146 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Mills Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Lake Mills Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Mills 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 Lake Mills Middle School
How many students attend Lake Mills Middle School?
Lake Mills Middle School has 146 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Lake Mills, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Mills Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Mills Middle School is 18.3:1, which is 24% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lake Mills Middle School?
31.7% of students at Lake Mills Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lake Mills Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Lake Mills Middle School is White at 80.1% of enrollment, in Lake Mills, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Mills Middle School?
Lake Mills Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Lake Mills Middle School rank among public schools in Lake Mills?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Mills Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Lake Mills, 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 Lake Mills on the city page.
Is Lake Mills Middle School a good school?
Lake Mills Middle School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Lake Mills Comm School District?
Besides Lake Mills Middle School, Lake Mills Comm School District also operates Lake Mills Elementary School (303 students) and Lake Mills Senior High School (193 students). See the Lake Mills 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.