Enrollment
720
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Council Bluffs, IA
Lewis Central Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Lewis Central Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 191668000997
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lewis Central Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 3
- middle schools in Council Bluffs · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 32.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Lewis Central Middle School has class sizes larger than 80% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lewis Central Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Council Bluffs, IA.
School address
District: Lewis Central Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191668000997 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lewis Central Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lewis Central Middle School
Lewis Central Middle School is a large middle school in Council Bluffs, Iowa, enrolling 720 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 32.9% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 92% of state schools at 720 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 183 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #73.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 362 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 179 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 720 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Council Bluffs's middle schools, it stands alongside Gerald W Kirn Middle School (913 students): Lewis Central Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.4:1 vs 14.3:1).
Lewis Central Comm School District also operates Lewis Central Senior High School (1,020 students) and Titan Hill Intermediate School (901 students) alongside Lewis Central 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 Lewis Central Middle School compares
Lewis Central 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 | 16.4:1 | ▲ 11% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.9% | ▼ 10% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 720 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
720
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 80% in Iowa - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.5%
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
$11,807
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 362 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
87
in-school suspensions + 92 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.9 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 77.8%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%
Two or More 6.7%
African American 1.7%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 77.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.2, Lewis Central 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 Lewis Central Comm School District, which includes Lewis Central Middle School.
$11,807
Per student
-8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.7%
State 41.3%
Federal 10.0%
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 Lewis Central Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Central Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Titan Hill Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| E a Kreft Primary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lewis Central Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,020
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 901
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar middle schools in Council Bluffs
2 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 (~720 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lewis Central Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Lewis Central Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Lewis Central 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 Lewis Central Middle School
How many students attend Lewis Central Middle School?
Lewis Central Middle School has 720 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Council Bluffs, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lewis Central Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lewis Central Middle School is 16.4:1, which is 11% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lewis Central Middle School?
32.9% of students at Lewis Central Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lewis Central Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Lewis Central Middle School is White at 77.8% of enrollment, in Council Bluffs, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lewis Central Middle School?
Lewis Central Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Lewis Central Middle School rank among middle schools in Council Bluffs?
By Resource Investment Index, Lewis Central Middle School ranks #1 of 3 middle schools in Council Bluffs, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Council Bluffs on the city page.
Is Lewis Central Middle School a good school?
Lewis Central Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Lewis Central Comm School District?
Besides Lewis Central Middle School, Lewis Central Comm School District also operates Lewis Central Senior High School (1,020 students), Titan Hill Intermediate School (901 students), and E a Kreft Primary School (502 students). See the Lewis Central 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.