Enrollment
379
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Spirit Lake, IA
Spirit Lake Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Spirit Lake Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192700001905
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Spirit Lake Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Spirit Lake · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 21.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Spirit Lake Middle School has class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Spirit Lake Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Spirit Lake, IA.
School address
District: Spirit Lake Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192700001905 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Spirit Lake Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Spirit Lake Middle School
Spirit Lake Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Spirit Lake, Iowa, enrolling 379 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.2:1 is larger than about 86% of Iowa schools and 16% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 379 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.
Against 380 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #234.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Spirit Lake Comm School District also operates Spirit Lake Elementary School (547 students) and Spirit Lake High School (393 students) alongside Spirit Lake 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 Spirit Lake Middle School compares
Spirit Lake 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 16% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.5% | ▼ 41% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 379 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
379
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 86% in Iowa - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,634
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 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 89.2%
Two or More 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
African American 1.3%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 89.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.1, Spirit Lake 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 Spirit Lake Comm School District, which includes Spirit Lake Middle School.
$11,634
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 67.6%
State 25.4%
Federal 7.1%
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 Spirit Lake Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Lake Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Spirit Lake High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Spirit Lake Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 547
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~379 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Spirit Lake Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Spirit Lake Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Spirit Lake 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 Spirit Lake Middle School
How many students attend Spirit Lake Middle School?
Spirit Lake Middle School has 379 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Spirit Lake, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Spirit Lake Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Spirit Lake Middle School is 17.2:1, which is 16% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Spirit Lake Middle School?
21.5% of students at Spirit Lake Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spirit Lake Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Spirit Lake Middle School is White at 89.2% of enrollment, in Spirit Lake, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Spirit Lake Middle School?
Spirit Lake 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 Spirit Lake Middle School rank among public schools in Spirit Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Spirit Lake Middle School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Spirit Lake, 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 Spirit Lake on the city page.
Is Spirit Lake Middle School a good school?
Spirit Lake Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Spirit Lake Comm School District?
Besides Spirit Lake Middle School, Spirit Lake Comm School District also operates Spirit Lake Elementary School (547 students) and Spirit Lake High School (393 students). See the Spirit Lake 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.