Enrollment
135
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Neola, IA
Tri-Center Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Tri-Center Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 192799000309
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tri-Center Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Neola · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 22.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 17.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Tri-Center Middle School has class sizes larger than 96% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Center Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Neola, IA.
School address
District: Tri-Center Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192799000309 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+52% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-51% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tri-Center Middle School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tri-Center Middle School
Tri-Center Middle School is a lower-poverty, small middle school in Neola, Iowa, enrolling 135 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.5:1 is larger than about 96% of Iowa schools and 52% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.9% free-meal eligibility runs 51% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 135 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 102 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #66.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
10.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Tri-Center Comm School District also operates Tri-Center Elementary School (364 students) and Tri-Center High School (225 students) alongside Tri-Center 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 Tri-Center Middle School compares
Tri-Center 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 | 22.5:1 | ▲ 52% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.9% | ▼ 51% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 135 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
135
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 52% above state mean
Top 96% in Iowa - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
10.4%
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
$11,402
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
9
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 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 89.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Two or More 0.7%
Largest group: White at 89.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.0, Tri-Center 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 Tri-Center Comm School District, which includes Tri-Center Middle School.
$11,402
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.8%
State 50.7%
Federal 9.5%
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 Tri-Center Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Center Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tri-Center High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tri-Center Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 225
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~135 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tri-Center Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Tri-Center Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Tri-Center 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 Tri-Center Middle School
How many students attend Tri-Center Middle School?
Tri-Center Middle School has 135 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Neola, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tri-Center Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tri-Center Middle School is 22.5:1, which is 52% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tri-Center Middle School?
17.9% of students at Tri-Center Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tri-Center Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Tri-Center Middle School is White at 89.6% of enrollment, in Neola, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tri-Center Middle School?
Tri-Center Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Tri-Center Middle School rank among public schools in Neola?
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Center Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Neola, 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 Neola on the city page.
Is Tri-Center Middle School a good school?
Tri-Center Middle School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Tri-Center Comm School District?
Besides Tri-Center Middle School, Tri-Center Comm School District also operates Tri-Center Elementary School (364 students) and Tri-Center High School (225 students). See the Tri-Center 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.