Enrollment
824
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Norwalk, IA
Norwalk Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Norwalk 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 192124001274
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Norwalk Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 5
- public schools in Norwalk · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 17.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Norwalk Middle School has class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Norwalk Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Norwalk, IA.
School address
District: Norwalk Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192124001274 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
51.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Norwalk Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Norwalk Middle School
Norwalk Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Norwalk, Iowa, enrolling 824 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.2% free-meal eligibility runs 53% below the Iowa average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 94% of state schools at 824 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 122 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #53.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 366 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Norwalk Comm School District also operates Norwalk Senior High School (1,035 students) and Orchard Hills Elementary (558 students) alongside Norwalk 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 Norwalk Middle School compares
Norwalk 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.2% | ▼ 53% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 824 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
824
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 78% in Iowa - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.6%
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
$10,513
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
Counselors2.3 FTE
Per 366 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
52
in-school suspensions + 32 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.2 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 86.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Two or More 3.6%
African American 1.7%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 86.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.6, Norwalk 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 Norwalk Comm School District, which includes Norwalk Middle School.
$10,513
Per student
-18%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.1%
State 57.0%
Federal 8.0%
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 Norwalk Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwalk Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Orchard Hills Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakewood Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oviatt Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Norwalk Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,035
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 558
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- 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 (~824 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Norwalk Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Norwalk Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Norwalk 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 Norwalk Middle School
How many students attend Norwalk Middle School?
Norwalk Middle School has 824 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Norwalk, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Norwalk Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Norwalk Middle School is 16.2:1, which is 9% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Norwalk Middle School?
17.2% of students at Norwalk Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Norwalk Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Norwalk Middle School is White at 86.4% of enrollment, in Norwalk, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Norwalk Middle School?
Norwalk 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 Norwalk Middle School rank among public schools in Norwalk?
By Resource Investment Index, Norwalk Middle School ranks #1 of 5 public schools in Norwalk, 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 Norwalk on the city page.
Is Norwalk Middle School a good school?
Norwalk Middle School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Norwalk Comm School District?
Besides Norwalk Middle School, Norwalk Comm School District also operates Norwalk Senior High School (1,035 students), Orchard Hills Elementary (558 students), and Lakewood Elementary School (554 students). See the Norwalk 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.