Enrollment
35
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 190306001383
The Cougars Den — Ackley, IA
Federal NCES profile for The Cougars Den, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Agwsr Comm School District · Iowa
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
-9% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
The Cougars Den reports 35 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 3.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the Iowa state mean of 15:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 14% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 31.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 13% below the Iowa average and 39% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Agwsr Comm School District spends $18,435 per pupil district-wide, above the Iowa average of $17,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 48.5% from local sources (property taxes), 37.3% from the state, and 14.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 2 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How The Cougars Den compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Iowa state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.7% | ▼ 13% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 35 | top 2% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
13.7:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 41% in Iowa — lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$18,435
per pupil, district-wide
— above Iowa avg of $17,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints 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
Enrollment 35 Top 2% in Iowa — larger than 98% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 3.0
Students per teacher 13.7:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 31.7% -13% vs state
NCES ID 190306001383
Student demographics
White 88.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.4%
Largest group: White at 88.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Agwsr Comm School District, which includes The Cougars Den.
$18,435
Per student
+7%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 227
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Enrollment
- 190
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Enrollment
- 131
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 59
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about The Cougars Den
How many students attend The Cougars Den?
The Cougars Den has 35 students enrolled. It is a other school in Ackley, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Cougars Den?
The student-teacher ratio at The Cougars Den is 13.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a student body in Ackley, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Cougars Den?
The Cougars Den has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.