Enrollment
514
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Spencer, IA
Spencer Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Spencer Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 192691001583
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spencer Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Iowa schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Spencer · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 38.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Spencer Middle School has class sizes larger than 81% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spencer Middle School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Spencer, IA.
School address
District: Spencer Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192691001583 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spencer Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spencer Middle School
Spencer Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Spencer, Iowa, enrolling 514 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 38.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 514 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 307 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #307, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 514 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Spencer Comm School District also operates Spencer High School (688 students) and Lincoln Elementary School (442 students) alongside Spencer 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 Spencer Middle School compares
Spencer 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 12% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.9% | ▲ 7% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 514 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
514
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 81% in Iowa - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
28.8%
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
$11,742
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 514 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
52
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 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 87.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.0%
Two or More 3.3%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 87.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.2, Spencer Middle School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Spencer Comm School District, which includes Spencer Middle School.
$11,742
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.2%
State 49.9%
Federal 10.0%
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 Spencer Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fairview Park Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Johnson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Spencer Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 249
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~514 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spencer Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Spencer Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Spencer 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 Spencer Middle School
How many students attend Spencer Middle School?
Spencer Middle School has 514 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Spencer, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spencer Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Spencer Middle School is 16.6:1, which is 12% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Spencer Middle School?
38.9% of students at Spencer Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spencer Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Spencer Middle School is White at 87.2% of enrollment, in Spencer, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spencer Middle School?
Spencer Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower 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 Spencer Middle School rank among public schools in Spencer?
By Resource Investment Index, Spencer Middle School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Spencer, 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 Spencer on the city page.
Is Spencer Middle School a good school?
Spencer Middle School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Spencer Comm School District?
Besides Spencer Middle School, Spencer Comm School District also operates Spencer High School (688 students), Lincoln Elementary School (442 students), and Fairview Park Elementary (249 students). See the Spencer 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.