Enrollment
375
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Pella, IA
Pella Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Pella Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 192247001351
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pella Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Pella · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 15.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pella Middle School has class sizes larger than 73% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pella Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Pella, IA.
School address
District: Pella Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192247001351 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-57% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pella Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pella Middle School
Pella Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Pella, Iowa, enrolling 375 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.7% free-meal eligibility runs 57% below the Iowa average.
With 375 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 276 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 375 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Pella Comm School District also operates Pella High School (801 students) and Jefferson Intermediate (494 students) alongside Pella 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 Pella Middle School compares
Pella 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.7% | ▼ 57% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 375 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
375
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 57% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 73% in Iowa - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,689
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 375 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 4.3%
Two or More 4.0%
African American 2.1%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 88.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.3, Pella 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 Pella Comm School District, which includes Pella Middle School.
$11,689
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.5%
State 43.6%
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 Pella Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pella High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pella Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 801
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 401
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
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 (~375 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pella Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Pella Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Pella 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 Pella Middle School
How many students attend Pella Middle School?
Pella Middle School has 375 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Pella, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pella Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pella Middle School is 15.6:1, which is 5% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pella Middle School?
15.7% of students at Pella Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pella Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Pella Middle School is White at 88.5% of enrollment, in Pella, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pella Middle School?
Pella Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (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 Pella Middle School rank among public schools in Pella?
By Resource Investment Index, Pella Middle School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Pella, 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 Pella on the city page.
Is Pella Middle School a good school?
Pella Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Pella Comm School District?
Besides Pella Middle School, Pella Comm School District also operates Pella High School (801 students), Jefferson Intermediate (494 students), and Madison Elementary School (401 students). See the Pella 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.