United StatesIADecorah Community School District

Public school district or agency · Official NCES ID 1908730

Decorah Community School District

Decorah, IA

Students1,640

Student membership reported by NCES for 2023–24.

Schools5

schools in the 2023–24 NCES record

Students1,640

students enrolled in 2023–24

Latest attendance year2022–23

latest nationwide attendance file

Latest finance record$13,253

current spending per student

What is available here?

Broad coverage

8 of 8 core data areas available

Every available section is tied to this district’s official NCES ID. The year shown is the year the data describes, not the date we added it.

Academic results2025Current releaseAttendance2022–23Current releaseSpending2022–23Current releaseEnrollment & staffing2023–24Current releaseStudent support2021–22Older federal releaseSafety & civil rights2021–22Older federal releaseCommunity context2023Current releasePrograms & opportunities2021–22Older federal release

Five things to know

The district at a glance

Open any question to see the supporting numbers, comparison and reporting year.

Explore outcomes by student group →

Student outcomes

How are students doing?

Four views answer different questions. State test percentages show grade-level expectations; the national research trend shows change over time; graduation and dropout measures describe high-school outcomes.

Nationally comparable trend · 2019–2025

Are results improving over time?

61stlatest estimated national standing
20192022202320242025

5 percentile points lower than 2019.

Annual dropout · 2023–24

How many high-school students left during the year?

1.6%of students enrolled in grades 9–12
District1.6%
IA2.7%
U.S.2.3%

Lower is better. This annual rate is not the opposite of the graduation rate because the measures use different students and time periods.

State proficiency standards differ and should not be used for cross-state rankings. Graduation ranges and privacy protections are preserved exactly. The academic trend uses Stanford Education Data Archive estimates and is not a state proficiency percentage.

Graduation · 2022–23

How many students graduated within four years?

Loading the district's official graduation record…

What has changed?

The district’s recent direction

Each card uses its own clearly labeled period. Measures from different sources are never blended.

Academic standing5 percentile points

Lower than the first comparable year.

2019–2025 · Stanford research estimate
Chronic absence2.5 points

Higher than the first year. More students were chronically absent.

2020–21–2022–23
Enrollment+3.3%

Student enrollment grew.

2021–22 to 2023–24 · NCES
Operating spending-0.2%

Spending per student decreased before adjusting for inflation.

FY 2022 to FY 2023 · NCES F-33
Enrollment 2023–24Finance 2022–23Attendance 2022–23State tests 2024–25 where published

Enrollment · 2023–24

Who attends this district?

Pre-K97 students
5.9%
Kindergarten–grade 5635 students
38.7%
Grades 6–8339 students
20.7%
Grades 9–12569 students
34.7%
See enrollment for every grade
Pre-Kindergarten97
Kindergarten125
Grade 188
Grade 297
Grade 3118
Grade 4110
Grade 597
Grade 6113
Grade 7105
Grade 8121
Grade 9139
Grade 10150
Grade 11146
Grade 12134

Students by race and ethnicity

White1,458 (88.9%)
Hispanic/Latino103 (6.3%)
Two or more races46 (2.8%)
Black or African American17 (1.0%)
Asian12 (0.7%)
American Indian or Alaska Native1 (0.1%)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander1 (0.1%)

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership file, 2023–24. Suppressed or missing cells are not estimated.

Early learning · 2023–24

How much public pre-K is reported?

97Students enrolled in pre-K
1.8Pre-K teachers, full-time equivalent
53.3:1Reported pre-K students per pre-K teacher

Pre-K students as a share of district enrollment

District5.9%
IA5.8%
United States2.9%

Final NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2023–24. Enrollment shows children attending district-run public pre-K. It does not show open seats, waitlists, private providers, program hours, eligibility or the cost to families.

Current staffing · 2023–24

How many staff members support students?

255.9All district staff, full-time equivalent
120.6Teachers, full-time equivalent
3School counselors, full-time equivalent
58.1Instructional aides, full-time equivalent
1.9Librarians and media specialists, full-time equivalent
5.2School administrators, full-time equivalent
3.9Student support staff, full-time equivalent
See detailed staffing
Pre-K teachers1.8 FTE
Kindergarten teachers10.1 FTE
Elementary teachers68.3 FTE
Secondary teachers40.5 FTE
Instructional coordinators7.5 FTE
District administrators5 FTE
District administrative support5.5 FTE
School administrative support5.5 FTE
Library and media support2 FTE
Other support staff37.7 FTE

Final NCES Common Core of Data staff file, 2023–24. These are full-time-equivalent positions, not employee headcounts, vacancies or caseloads.

High-school outcomes · 2023–24

How many students completed school or dropped out?

134Total completers
134Regular diplomas
9Reported dropouts, grades 9–12

Regular diplomas among completers

District100.0%
IA99.5%
United States99.0%

Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–12

District1.6%
IA2.7%
United States2.3%

Final NCES Common Core of Data completer and dropout files, 2023–24. The dropout rate divides the reported annual grades 9–12 dropout count by complete grades 9–12 enrollment. It is not a cohort graduation rate. The diploma share describes credentials among completers and should not be read as a graduation rate.

Teachers and staff

Teacher workforce

Loading the district’s workforce comparison…

Community context · 2024

How many school-age children live in poverty?

This Census estimate provides context about families in the district. It does not measure school quality or describe every student enrolled in the district.

1,650children ages 5 to 17
122estimated to live in families below the poverty line
7.4%about 1 in 14 school-age children
District7.4%
IA12.1%
United States14.4%

U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. The estimate covers related children ages 5 to 17 in families in poverty and uses 2024–25 district boundaries.

District geography · 2024–25

What area does this district cover?

NCES publishes a geographic boundary for traditional school districts. Charter agencies and some special-purpose agencies may not have one.

Loading the official district boundary…

Source: NCES EDGE School District Boundaries, school year 2024–25.

Comparable districts

Districts serving a similar student population

These peers are matched using enrollment and available student population measures. Districts in IA receive geographic preference, but a closer national match may appear when it is more comparable. Open any profile for a full comparison.

District, state and country

How does this district compare?

State and national figures use the same measure and reporting period. They are weighted by students or staffing whenever the source provides a denominator.

MeasureDistrictIAUnited States
Academic standing2025Stronger than benchmarks
61st percentile48th percentile45th percentile

This district is 13 percentile points higher than the state figure and 16 percentile points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students chronically absent2022–23Stronger than benchmarks
11.9%24.7%27.2%

This district is 12.8 percentage points lower than the state figure and 15.3 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Revenue per studentFY 2023Context only
$17,238$17,383$19,748

This district is $145 per student lower than the state figure and $2,510 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$13,253$13,078$15,908

This district is $175 per student higher than the state figure and $2,655 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Capital outlay per studentFY 2023Context only
$2,811$2,677$2,035

This district is $134 per student higher than the state figure and $776 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Equipment spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$1,546$479$342

This district is $1,067 per student higher than the state figure and $1,204 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Special-education spending per studentFY 2023Context only
$2,359$1,945$1,855

This district is $414 per student higher than the state figure and $504 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Salaries per studentFY 2023Context only
$7,992$8,057$8,849

This district is $65 per student lower than the state figure and $857 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Benefits per studentFY 2023Context only
$2,547$2,701$3,859

This district is $154 per student lower than the state figure and $1,312 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt outstanding per studentFY 2023Context only
$3,423$10,269$12,224

This district is $6,846 per student lower than the state figure and $8,801 per student lower than the U.S. figure.

Debt retired per studentFY 2023Context only
$1,547$960$907

This district is $587 per student higher than the state figure and $640 per student higher than the U.S. figure.

Students per teacher2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
14:114:115:1

This district is about the same as the state figure and 1.0 students per teacher lower than the U.S. figure.

Students per counselor2023–24Needs attention
550:1349:1373:1

This district is 201 students per counselor higher than the state figure and 177 students per counselor higher than the U.S. figure.

District staff per 1,000 students2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
156.1146.7138.8

This district is 9.4 staff per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 17.3 staff per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.

Instructional aides per 1,000 students2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
35.527.818.1

This district is 7.7 aides per 1,000 students higher than the state figure and 17.4 aides per 1,000 students higher than the U.S. figure.

School psychologists per 1,000 students2023–24Needs attention
0.00.00.9

This district is about the same as the state figure and 0.9 psychologists per 1,000 students lower than the U.S. figure.

Regular diplomas among completers2023–24Stronger than benchmarks
100.0%99.5%99.0%

This district is 0.5 percentage points higher than the state figure and 1.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Annual dropouts among students in grades 9–122023–24Stronger than benchmarks
1.6%2.7%2.3%

This district is 1.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 0.7 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Pre-K students as a share of enrollment2023–24Context only
5.9%5.8%2.9%

This district is 0.1 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.0 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students learning English2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
1.3%7.7%11.8%

This district is 6.4 percentage points lower than the state figure and 10.6 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
13.3%12.9%13.8%

This district is 0.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 0.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Teachers reported as certified2021–22 · reporting schoolsContext only
100.0%100.0%96.6%

This district is about the same as the state figure and 3.4 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Enrollment change2021–22 to 2023–24Context only
+3.3%+0.9%+0.2%

This district is 2.4 percentage points higher than the state figure and 3.1 percentage points higher than the U.S. figure.

Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals2021–22 · valid district recordsContext only
23.0%40.1%49.4%

This district is 17.1 percentage points lower than the state figure and 26.4 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Out-of-school suspension rate · students receiving IDEA services2021–22 · matched enrollmentStronger than benchmarks
1.9%13.2%9.4%

This district is 11.3 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Students enrolled in district distance education2021–22 · matched enrollmentContext only
0.0%6.2%4.5%

This district is 6.2 percentage points lower than the state figure and 4.5 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

School-age children in poverty2024 Census estimateStronger than benchmarks
7.4%12.1%14.4%

This district is 4.7 percentage points lower than the state figure and 7.0 percentage points lower than the U.S. figure.

Learning support · 2021–22 federal snapshot

How many students may need specialized support?

Counts and shares use only schools with a usable value for that measure. The reporting-school denominator prevents missing schools from being counted as zero.

1.3%Students learning English20 students · 4 of 4 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District1.3%
IA7.7%
U.S.11.8%
13.3%Students receiving IDEA special-education services208 students · 4 of 4 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District13.3%
IA12.9%
U.S.13.8%
0.6%English learners also receiving IDEA services9 students · 4 of 4 schools reported both this measure and enrollment
District0.6%
IA1.2%
U.S.1.7%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Public-use counts are privacy-protected. These figures describe the reporting year, not current enrollment, diagnoses, service quality or unmet need.

Teacher quality and early learning · 2021–22

What did the district report about teachers and preschool?

100.0%Teachers reported as certified
93Children ages 3–5 in district preschool

Teacher certification comparison

District100.0%
IA100.0%
United States96.6%

U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021–22. Certification status is district-reported and may not match current staffing. Preschool counts cover the federal reporting year and are not a measure of available seats.

Academic results · 2025

How do results differ among student groups?

Students not economically disadvantaged918 assessments
68 out of 100
Fem592 assessments
63 out of 100
White students1,118 assessments
63 out of 100
Mal664 assessments
60 out of 100
Economically disadvantaged students232 assessments
43 out of 100

A score of 50 marks the national 2019 midpoint. Higher numbers indicate stronger results on the comparable Stanford research scale. This is not a state proficiency rate.

District makeup

What kinds of schools are in the district?

3Elementary schools
1High schools
1Middle schools
4Town setting
1Rural setting

School levels, settings and types use the NCES 2021–22 directory matched to the federal civil-rights collection.

District finances

How is the district funded, and how does it spend?

Sources of funds

Where the money comes from

Share of district revenue supplied by each level of government.

5.3%Federal
42.7%State
52%Local
Uses of funds

Where the money goes

Annual spending for each enrolled student.

$13,253Total current spending per student
$8,029Instruction per student
$4,651Support services per student
Revenue by source: percentages and dollars
$1.5MFederal revenue5.3% of total revenue
$12.2MState revenue42.7% of total revenue
$14.9MLocal revenue52% of total revenue
How operating money was used
$8,029Instructionper student
$4,651Student and instructional supportper student
$2,359Special educationper student
$1,398Building operations and maintenanceper student
$755Student transportationper student
$573Food servicesper student
$144Technologyper student
People costs
$13.3MSalaries$7,992 per student
$4.2MEmployee benefits$2,547 per student
Equipment, buildings and debt
$2.6MEquipmentFY 2023
$4.7MCapital outlay$2,811 per student
$474KConstructionincluded in capital outlay
$5.7MDebt outstanding at year end$3,423 per student
$1.6MNew debt issuedFY 2023
$2.6MDebt principal retiredFY 2023
$186KInterest paid on debtFY 2023
Selected federal program revenue
$144KTitle I$87 per student
$82KIDEA special education$49 per student
$12KCareer and technical education$7 per student
$407KChild nutrition$245 per student
What changed since FY 2022
Operating spending per student
FY 2022$13,274
FY 2023$13,253-0.2% year over year
Capital spending per student
FY 2022$1,401
FY 2023$2,811+100.6% year over year
Debt outstanding per student
FY 2022$4,050
FY 2023$3,423-15.5% year over year

Revenue shares and spending categories answer different questions and should not be added together. Source: NCES F-33 district finance, FY 2023.

Attendance

How has chronic absence changed?

2020–219.4%

147 of 1,572 students

2021–2214.7%

229 of 1,562 students

2022–2311.9%

185 of 1,558 students

Specialized support and security · 2021–22

What specialized roles were reported?

0Sworn law-enforcement officer FTE5 reporting schools
0Security staff FTE5 reporting schools

Staffing is reported as full-time equivalents in the 2021–22 CRDC collection.

Learning opportunities

What do district schools offer?

Algebra I1 reporting schools
100%
Calculus1 reporting schools
100%
Biology1 reporting schools
100%
Chemistry1 reporting schools
100%
Physics1 reporting schools
100%
Computer science1 reporting schools
100%
Advanced Placement1 reporting schools
100%
Dual enrollment1 reporting schools
100%
Gifted programs5 reporting schools
80%
International Baccalaureate1 reporting schools
0%
Athletics1 reporting schools
100%

Shares use only schools for which the program was applicable and reported. A districtwide percentage does not guarantee availability at every grade or campus. Source: 2021–22 CRDC.

Safety and discipline

What was reported across district schools?

Counts are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Open a measure to see the schools behind the district total.

Technology and safety · 2021–22

What access and incident data is available?

Technology and incident figures are from the 2021–22 CRDC collection. Device counts describe the reporting year, not current inventory.

Data status

8 of 8 national data layers are matched to this NCES district ID. Identity and school counts use NCES records. Academic estimates use SEDA, attendance uses EDFacts, finance uses NCES F-33, staffing and enrollment use 2023–24 NCES CCD where available, teacher certification, preschool and policy fields use the 2021–22 CRDC, and community poverty context uses Census SAIPE. Four-year graduation rates use 2022–23 EDFacts. Every detailed view preserves its reporting year.

See all sources →

Keep exploring

Put this district in context

Compare the same measures across the state, explore a parent question, or read a practical guide.