Enrollment
115
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Buffalo Center, IA
North Iowa Middle School
Federal NCES profile for North Iowa Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 190575001620
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Iowa Middle School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Buffalo Center · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 31.8%
- free-lunch eligible
North Iowa Middle School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Iowa Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Buffalo Center, IA.
School address
District: North Iowa Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190575001620 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Iowa Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Iowa Middle School
North Iowa Middle School is a small middle school in Buffalo Center, Iowa, enrolling 115 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 31.8% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Iowa schools, with 115 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 128 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
16.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 29 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 115 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
North Iowa Comm School District also operates North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center (227 students) and North Iowa High School (124 students) alongside North Iowa 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 North Iowa Middle School compares
North Iowa 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 14% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.8% | ▼ 13% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 115 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
115
Bigger than 11% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.8%
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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 33% in Iowa - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,297
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.2 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 87.8%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
African American 0.9%
Largest group: White at 87.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.6, North Iowa 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 North Iowa Comm School District, which includes North Iowa Middle School.
$13,297
Per student
+3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 16.3%
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 North Iowa Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Iowa High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Iowa Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 227
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 124
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~115 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Iowa Middle School's federal record.
- Compare North Iowa Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- North Iowa 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 North Iowa Middle School
How many students attend North Iowa Middle School?
North Iowa Middle School has 115 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Buffalo Center, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Iowa Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at North Iowa Middle School is 12.8:1, which is 14% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 18% 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 North Iowa Middle School?
31.8% of students at North Iowa Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Iowa Middle School?
The largest demographic group at North Iowa Middle School is White at 87.8% of enrollment, in Buffalo Center, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Iowa Middle School?
North Iowa Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher 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 North Iowa Middle School rank among public schools in Buffalo Center?
By Resource Investment Index, North Iowa Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Buffalo Center, 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 Buffalo Center on the city page.
Is North Iowa Middle School a good school?
North Iowa Middle School earns 59/100 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 North Iowa Comm School District?
Besides North Iowa Middle School, North Iowa Comm School District also operates North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center (227 students) and North Iowa High School (124 students). See the North Iowa 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.