Ames Middle School

Q: Is Ames Middle School a good school?

Ames Middle School ranks 169 th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Ames Middle School is a public middle school serving 1,002 students in grades 6-8 in the Ames Community School District in Ames, Iowa. The school has consistently strong academic performance, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science that generally exceed state averages. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 78.4% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state average of 77.5%.

Ames Middle School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 13.2 students per teacher, compared to the state average of 15-18 students per teacher. The school also has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (30.84% in 2022-2023) compared to some nearby schools, which can be an indicator of socioeconomic status. However, the school's statewide ranking has declined in recent years, from a high of 14th out of 337 Iowa middle schools in 2013-2014 to 169th in 2023-2024, suggesting that the school may be facing some challenges in maintaining its academic excellence compared to other high-performing middle schools in the region.

While Ames Middle School generally outperforms nearby schools like Ogden Middle School, Boone Middle School, and Madrid Junior High School, some schools in the Ankeny Community School District, such as Gilbert Middle School and Prairie Ridge Middle School, outperform Ames Middle School on several metrics. This suggests that the school may need to continue to adapt and improve to maintain its position as a top-performing middle school in the region.

Detail:

Public 6-8

3915 Mortensen Road
Ames, IA 50014

(515) 268-2400

District: Ames Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
169^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,412

Students who attend Ames Middle School usually attend:

High:

Ames High School

Feeder schools for Ames Middle School:

Elementary:	Edwards Elementary School
	Fellows Elementary School
	Meeker Elementary School
	Mitchell Elementary School
	More...
	Northwood Pre-School
	Sawyer Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 1,002

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.0%

Hispanic:

11.7%

African American:

10.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 30.8%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Ames Middle School ranks worse than 50.1% of middle schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.49. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ames Middle School is $11,412.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Ames Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Ames Middle School 169^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Ames Middle School in the ranking list.)

Ames Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Ames Community School District 132^nd of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Ames Middle School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	85.71	11^th	349	96.8%
2013	87.18	6^th	350	98.3%
2014	85.33	14^th	337	95.8%
2015	78.51	39^th	349	88.8%
2016	76.24	56^th	343	83.7%
2017	77.34	45^th	327	86.2%
2018	79.57	36^th	318	88.7%
2019	65.76	104^th	342	69.6%
2021	54.51	162^nd	324	50.0%
2022	52.52	170^th	337	49.6%
2023	55.21	175^th	334	47.6%
2024	55.49	169^th	337	49.9%

See the entire list of Iowa Middle School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Ames Middle School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	569	12	32	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	624
1989	585	14	53	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	663
1990	567	21	44	9	3	n/a	n/a	0	644
1991	592	23	48	16	6	n/a	n/a	0	685
1992	644	20	31	15	3	n/a	n/a	0	713
1993	796	17	32	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	849
1994	707	16	45	9	2	n/a	n/a	0	779
1995	719	31	47	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	812
1996	719	31	47	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	812
1997	715	35	58	13	2	n/a	n/a	0	823
1998	681	41	58	18	2	n/a	n/a	0	800
1999	685	29	50	16	5	n/a	n/a	0	785
2000	659	35	66	19	3	n/a	n/a	0	782
2001	624	32	56	23	4	n/a	n/a	0	739
2002	599	30	64	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	712
2003	599	30	64	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	712
2004	570	43	57	16	2	n/a	n/a	0	688
2005	565	49	59	17	3	n/a	n/a	0	693
2006	796	76	89	38	2	n/a	n/a	0	1001
2007	779	83	89	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	996
2008	777	99	104	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	1025
2009	785	106	102	51	4	n/a	n/a	0	1048
2010	716	82	79	46	0	0	31	0	954
2011	695	93	72	40	3	0	21	0	924
2012	667	82	76	52	3	0	32	0	912
2013	689	75	78	58	3	0	42	0	945
2014	661	78	80	77	1	0	48	0	945
2015	662	75	79	76	1	0	51	0	944
2016	688	90	78	87	1	0	46	0	990
2017	691	95	79	80	3	0	48	0	996
2018	703	111	83	78	3	0	55	0	1033
2019	691	102	87	93	6	1	60	0	1040
2020	729	99	91	99	5	1	66	0	1090
2021	731	96	87	115	0	2	66	0	1097
2022	708	109	74	120	1	1	59	1	1073
2023	651	102	64	117	0	0	64	4	1002

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ames Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	624	28.0	22.2	11.5
1989	663	2.9	228.6	10.6
1990	644	30.0	21.4	9.2
1991	685	30.0	22.8	12.6
1992	713	31.0	23.0	12.3
1993	849	42.0	20.2	9.2
1994	779	42.3	18.4	11.2
1995	812	50.8	16.0	11.5
1996	812	50.8	16.0	11.5
1997	823	64.0	12.9	14
1998	800	57.8	13.8	10.8
1999	785	55.7	14.1	12
2000	782	44.0	17.8	13.3
2001	739	54.2	13.6	13.3
2002	712	55.8	12.8	10.7
2003	712	55.8	12.8	10.7
2004	688	54.8	12.6	17.3
2005	693	57.6	12.0	17.9
2006	1001	75.9	13.2	18.9
2007	996	77.0	12.9	21.3
2008	1025	77.9	13.2	19.9
2009	1048	81.1	12.9	27.2
2010	954	79.1	12.0	23.7
2011	924	68.1	13.5	26.5
2012	912	67.0	13.6	28.3
2013	945	67.3	14.0	27.5
2014	945	68.4	13.8	26.1
2015	944	67.0	14.0	27
2016	990	66.0	15.0	31
2017	996	65.0	15.3	30.5
2018	1033	63.9	16.1	30.7
2019	1040	65.8	15.7	33.1
2020	1090	69.9	15.5	30.6
2021	1097	73.0	15.0	32.5
2022	1073	73.2	14.6	28
2023	1002	75.5	13.2	30.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Ames Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	624	28.0	22.2	11.5
1989	663	2.9	228.6	10.6
1990	644	30.0	21.4	9.2
1991	685	30.0	22.8	12.6
1992	713	31.0	23.0	12.3
1993	849	42.0	20.2	9.2
1994	779	42.3	18.4	11.2
1995	812	50.8	16.0	11.5
1996	812	50.8	16.0	11.5
1997	823	64.0	12.9	14
1998	800	57.8	13.8	10.8
1999	785	55.7	14.1	12
2000	782	44.0	17.8	13.3
2001	739	54.2	13.6	13.3
2002	712	55.8	12.8	10.7
2003	712	55.8	12.8	10.7
2004	688	54.8	12.6	17.3
2005	693	57.6	12.0	17.9
2006	1001	75.9	13.2	18.9
2007	996	77.0	12.9	21.3
2008	1025	77.9	13.2	19.9
2009	1048	81.1	12.9	27.2
2010	954	79.1	12.0	23.7
2011	924	68.1	13.5	26.5
2012	912	67.0	13.6	28.3
2013	945	67.3	14.0	27.5
2014	945	68.4	13.8	26.1
2015	944	67.0	14.0	27
2016	990	66.0	15.0	31
2017	996	65.0	15.3	30.5
2018	1033	63.9	16.1	30.7
2019	1040	65.8	15.7	33.1
2020	1090	69.9	15.5	30.6
2021	1097	73.0	15.0	32.5
2022	1073	73.2	14.6	28
2023	1002	75.5	13.2	30.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ames Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$258 (2.3%)	$11,154 (97.7%)	$11,412

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ames Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 104^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 175^th of 334 Middle schools	22%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Ames Middle School)	71.9	82	10.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Ames Community School District)	71.9	82	10.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Ames Middle School)	78.1	79.5	1.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Ames Community School District)	78.1	79.5	1.4%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Ames Middle School)	73.6	74.5	0.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Ames Community School District)	73.6	74.5	0.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Ames Middle School)	75.5	72.4	3.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Ames Community School District)	75.5	72.4	3.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Ames Middle School)	76.7	74.9	1.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Ames Community School District)	76.7	74.9	1.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Ames Middle School)	79.2	69.7	9.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Ames Community School District)	79.2	69.7	9.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.8	72	0.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1040	1002	3.7%
African American	102	102
American Indian	6	0	100%
Asian	87	64	26.4%
Hispanic	93	117	25.8%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	691	651	5.8%
Two or More Races	60	64	6.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	33.1%	30.8%	2.2%

Schools Near Ames Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)				ISASP Mathematics (2024)				ISASP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Ames Middle School	Public	6-8	3915 Mortensen Road	Ames	50014	Story County	Ames Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 268-2400	1,002	76	13.2	30.8%	651 (65.0%)	102 (10.2%)	117 (11.7%)	64 (6.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (6.4%)	55.5	169^th of 337 public middle schools	49.9%		55.2	175^th of 334 public middle schools	47.6%	6		73.3	79.2	78.4		75.6	72.9	78.4		71.6	$11,412	$258	$11,154
Gilbert Middle School	Public	6-8	201 E. Mathews	Gilbert	50105	Story County	Gilbert Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 232-0540	409	25	16.1	7.8%	352 (86.1%)	9 (2.2%)	21 (5.1%)	18 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.2%)	92.3	2^nd of 337 public middle schools	99.4%		90.9	5^th of 334 public middle schools	98.5%	3		96.8	95.7	95.5		94.5	87.8	90.2		91.7	$12,292	$237	$12,056
Ballard Middle School	Public	6-8	509 N Main Ave	Huxley	50124	Story County	Ballard Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 597-2815	432	27	15.9	15.3%	397 (91.9%)	12 (2.8%)	15 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.9%)	71	80^th of 337 public middle schools	76.3%		76.5	53^rd of 334 public middle schools	84.1%	27		93.0	78.5	82.6		93.0	80.0	81.9		68.5	$13,142	$46	$13,096
Boone Middle School	Public	5-8	1640 1st	Boone	50036	Boone County	Boone Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 433-0020	582	42	13.9	39.2%	508 (87.3%)	7 (1.2%)	44 (7.6%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.7%)	45.7	214^th of 337 public middle schools	36.5%		42.1	223^rd of 334 public middle schools	33.2%	9	53.4	61.7	78.2	85.3	63.2	70.3	67.1	72.5	48.9	65.3	$12,674	$334	$12,339
Madrid Junior High School	Public	6-8	599 N Kennedy	Madrid	50156	Boone County	Madrid Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 795-3240	153	12	13.1	28.8%	142 (92.8%)	2 (1.3%)	5 (3.3%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	63.6	125^th of 337 public middle schools	62.9%		65.6	107^th of 334 public middle schools	68.0%	18		91.1	95.2	82.7		71.1	88.1	71.2		59.6	$11,710	$73	$11,637
Nevada Middle School	Public	5-8	1035 15th St	Nevada	50201	Story County	Nevada Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 382-2751	443	30	14.8	36.8%	368 (83.1%)	3 (0.7%)	44 (9.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.2%)	67.9	104^th of 337 public middle schools	69.1%		65.6	108^th of 334 public middle schools	67.7%	4	82.5	80.0	90.2	85.7	87.5	73.9	87.3	75.0	75.0	70.5	$12,308	$518	$11,790
Roland-Story Middle School	Public	5-8	206 S Main St	Roland	50236	Story County	Roland-Story Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 388-4348	317	20	16.0	23.3%	276 (87.1%)	8 (2.5%)	19 (6.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.8%)	91.1	3^rd of 337 public middle schools	99.1%		82.8	23^rd of 334 public middle schools	93.1%	20	76.9	91.8	95.6	96.9	79.5	91.8	86.7	92.2	69.2	89.1	$10,323	$139	$10,183
North Polk Middle School	Public	6-8	315 NE 141st Ave.	Alleman	50007	Polk County	North Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 984-3400	455	26	17.4	9.5%	429 (94.3%)	3 (0.7%)	13 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	78.5	42^nd of 337 public middle schools	87.5%		88	8^th of 334 public middle schools	97.6%	34		78.4	91.2	92.9		80.1	81.2	92.2		81.4	$11,145	$144	$11,001
Woodward-Granger Middle School	Public	6-8	306 W 3rd St	Woodward	50276	Dallas County	Woodward-Granger Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 438-4263	208	12	17.9	17.3%	200 (96.2%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	74.4	64^th of 337 public middle schools	81.0%		70.6	83^rd of 334 public middle schools	75.1%	19		77.6	84.6	83.8		82.9	87.7	85.1		81.1	$17,033	$616	$16,417
Ogden Middle School	Public	6-8	732 W. Division St.	Ogden	50212	Boone County	Ogden Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 275-4034	165	9	18.5	26.7%	160 (97.0%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	2 (1.2%)	64.5	120^th of 337 public middle schools	64.4%		61.8	134^th of 334 public middle schools	59.9%	14		85.2	92.2	78.0		88.9	70.6	69.5		72.9	$13,996	$327	$13,670

Frequently Asked Questions about Ames Middle School

Is Ames Middle School a good school?

Ames Middle School ranks 169^th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Ames Middle School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,002 students attended Ames Middle School.

What district is Ames Middle School in?

Ames Community School District

What high school do graduates of Ames Middle School attend?

Students who attend Ames Middle School usually go on to attend Ames High School

What is the racial makeup of Ames Middle School?

Students at Ames Middle School are 65% White, 12% Hispanic, 10% African American, 6% Asian, 6% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.