Enrollment
312
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sheldon, IA
Sheldon Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Sheldon Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192598001475
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sheldon Middle School earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Sheldon · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 37.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sheldon Middle School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sheldon Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Sheldon, IA.
School address
District: Sheldon Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192598001475 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sheldon Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sheldon Middle School
Sheldon Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Sheldon, Iowa, enrolling 312 students.
At 14.2:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 37.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 312 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 437 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #117.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 312 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Sheldon Comm School District also operates East Elementary School (468 students) and Sheldon High School (356 students) alongside Sheldon 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 Sheldon Middle School compares
Sheldon 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.8% | ▲ 4% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 312 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
312
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 54% in Iowa - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,261
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 312 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.9 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 69.2%
Hispanic or Latino 24.7%
African American 2.6%
Two or More 1.6%
Asian 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.0%
Largest group: White at 69.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.9, Sheldon 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 Sheldon Comm School District, which includes Sheldon Middle School.
$11,261
Per student
-12%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.8%
State 49.7%
Federal 12.4%
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 Sheldon Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sheldon High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Little Orabs Preschool | Smaller | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Sheldon Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 43
- Students per teacher
- -
Similar elementary 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 (~312 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sheldon Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Sheldon Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Sheldon 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 Sheldon Middle School
How many students attend Sheldon Middle School?
Sheldon Middle School has 312 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sheldon, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sheldon Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sheldon Middle School is 14.2:1, which is 4% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% 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 Sheldon Middle School?
37.8% of students at Sheldon Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sheldon Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Sheldon Middle School is White at 69.2% of enrollment, in Sheldon, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sheldon Middle School?
Sheldon 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 Sheldon Middle School rank among public schools in Sheldon?
By Resource Investment Index, Sheldon Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Sheldon, 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 Sheldon on the city page.
Is Sheldon Middle School a good school?
Sheldon Middle School earns 54/100 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 Sheldon Comm School District?
Besides Sheldon Middle School, Sheldon Comm School District also operates East Elementary School (468 students), Sheldon High School (356 students), and Little Orabs Preschool (43 students). See the Sheldon 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.