Enrollment
35
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ackley, IA
The Cougars Den
Federal NCES profile for The Cougars Den, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190306001383
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Cougars Den earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Iowa.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Ackley · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 31.7%
- free-lunch eligible
The Cougars Den has class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The Cougars Den ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Ackley, IA.
School address
District: Agwsr Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190306001383 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Cougars Den compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at The Cougars Den
The Cougars Den is a small combined-grade school in Ackley, Iowa, enrolling 35 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 31.7% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Iowa schools, with 35 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Agwsr Comm School District also operates Agwsr Elementary School (227 students) and Agwsr High School (190 students) alongside The Cougars Den.
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 The Cougars Den compares
The Cougars Den on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.7:1 | ▼ 21% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.7% | ▼ 13% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 35 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
35
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 20% in Iowa - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$12,671
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 88.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.4%
Largest group: White at 88.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.2, The Cougars Den is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Agwsr Comm School District, which includes The Cougars Den.
$12,671
Per student
-1%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.5%
State 37.3%
Federal 14.1%
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 The Cougars Den Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agwsr Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Agwsr High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Agwsr Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Agwsr Elementary at Wellsburg | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to The Cougars Den's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 227
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 190
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 131
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 59
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other 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 (~35 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The Cougars Den's federal record.
- Compare The Cougars Den against another school. Compare schools
- Agwsr 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 The Cougars Den
How many students attend The Cougars Den?
The Cougars Den has 35 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ackley, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Cougars Den?
The student-teacher ratio at The Cougars Den is 11.7:1, which is 21% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 25% 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 The Cougars Den?
31.7% of students at The Cougars Den are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Cougars Den?
The largest demographic group at The Cougars Den is White at 88.6% of enrollment, in Ackley, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Cougars Den?
The Cougars Den has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does The Cougars Den rank among public schools in Ackley?
By Resource Investment Index, The Cougars Den ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Ackley, 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 Ackley on the city page.
Is The Cougars Den a good school?
The Cougars Den earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Iowa. 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 Agwsr Comm School District?
Besides The Cougars Den, Agwsr Comm School District also operates Agwsr Elementary School (227 students), Agwsr High School (190 students), and Agwsr Middle School (131 students). See the Agwsr 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.