Enrollment
257
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Iowa Falls, IA
Riverbend Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Riverbend Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 191473000905
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverbend Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Iowa Falls · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.5:1
- students per teacher
- 35.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverbend Middle School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverbend Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Iowa Falls, IA.
School address
District: Iowa Falls Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191473000905 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverbend Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverbend Middle School
Riverbend Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Iowa Falls, Iowa, enrolling 257 students.
At 13.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 35.8% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 257 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 426 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #305, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 68 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 257 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Iowa Falls Comm School District also operates Iowa Falls - Alden High School (398 students) and Rock Run Elementary (292 students) alongside Riverbend 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 Riverbend Middle School compares
Riverbend 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 9% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.8% | ▼ 2% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 257 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
257
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 43% in Iowa - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.9%
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
$11,803
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 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 60 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.5 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 84.0%
Hispanic or Latino 13.6%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.8%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.6, Riverbend 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 Iowa Falls Comm School District, which includes Riverbend Middle School.
$11,803
Per student
-8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.5%
State 47.7%
Federal 13.7%
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 Riverbend Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa Falls - Alden High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rock Run Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pineview Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverbend Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 398
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 292
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 281
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~257 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverbend Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Riverbend Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Iowa Falls 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 Riverbend Middle School
How many students attend Riverbend Middle School?
Riverbend Middle School has 257 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Iowa Falls, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverbend Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverbend Middle School is 13.5:1, which is 9% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 14% 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 Riverbend Middle School?
35.8% of students at Riverbend Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverbend Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Riverbend Middle School is White at 84.0% of enrollment, in Iowa Falls, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverbend Middle School?
Riverbend Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Riverbend Middle School rank among public schools in Iowa Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverbend Middle School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Iowa Falls, 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 Iowa Falls on the city page.
Is Riverbend Middle School a good school?
Riverbend Middle School earns 46/100 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 Iowa Falls Comm School District?
Besides Riverbend Middle School, Iowa Falls Comm School District also operates Iowa Falls - Alden High School (398 students), Rock Run Elementary (292 students), and Pineview Elementary (281 students). See the Iowa Falls 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.