Indianola Middle School

Q: Is Indianola Middle School a good school?

Indianola Middle School ranks 140 th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Indianola Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 6-8 in Indianola, Iowa, which is part of the Indianola Community School District. With a student population of 849, the school consistently performs above the state average in academic assessments and maintains a strong statewide ranking.

Indianola Middle School's academic performance is particularly noteworthy, with 77.8% of 6th graders, 81.6% of 7th graders, and 82.7% of 8th graders proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state averages of 74.5%, 77.3%, and 77.5%, respectively. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates are also higher than the state, with 73.9% of 6th graders, 76.3% of 7th graders, and 83.4% of 8th graders proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 71.1%, 69.9%, and 73.2%. This consistent academic excellence has earned the school a ranking as high as 54th out of 324 Iowa middle schools in the 2020-2021 school year, and a current 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

When compared to nearby middle schools in the Des Moines area, such as Merrill Middle School, Hiatt Middle School, and Callanan Middle School, Indianola Middle School stands out for its stronger academic performance and higher statewide ranking. Additionally, the school has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 24.49% to 31.8% in recent years, which is lower than many of the nearby schools.

Detail:

Public 6-8

403 S 15th St
Indianola, IA 50125

(515) 961-9530

District: Indianola Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
140^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,173

Students who attend Indianola Middle School usually attend:

High:

Indianola High School

Feeder schools for Indianola Middle School:

Elementary:	Emerson Elementary School
	Irving Elementary School
	Whittier Elementary School
	Wilder Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.9

Number of students: 820

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.3%

Hispanic:

4.8%

Two or more races:

4.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.2%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Indianola Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Indianola Middle School ranks better than 58.5% of middle schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 60.97. (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

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.3%), Hispanic (4.8%), two or more races (4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Indianola Middle School is 14.9. (See more...)

Compare Indianola Middle School employs 54.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Indianola Middle School is $12,173.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Indianola Middle School 140^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Indianola Middle School in the ranking list.)

Indianola Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Indianola Community School District 143^rd of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Indianola Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	71.59	69^th	349	80.2%
2013	78.61	31^st	350	91.1%
2014	74.27	59^th	337	82.5%
2015	74.30	58^th	349	83.4%
2016	69.07	86^th	343	74.9%
2017	73.61	59^th	327	82.0%
2018	69.25	82^nd	318	74.2%
2019	65.74	105^th	342	69.3%
2021	76.69	54^th	324	83.3%
2022	72.50	78^th	337	76.9%
2023	58.70	157^th	334	53.0%
2024	60.97	140^th	337	58.5%

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 Indianola Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	397	3	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	403
1989	407	5	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	414
1990	422	6	3	0	1	n/a	n/a	432
1991	452	4	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	458
1992	500	4	6	0	0	n/a	n/a	510
1993	487	5	5	1	2	n/a	n/a	500
1994	531	2	7	1	0	n/a	n/a	541
1995	504	4	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	516
1996	504	4	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	516
1997	801	4	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	808
1998	748	10	2	8	0	n/a	n/a	768
1999	747	9	2	1	3	n/a	n/a	762
2000	745	8	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	758
2001	711	3	0	5	0	n/a	n/a	719
2002	747	4	9	13	7	n/a	n/a	780
2003	747	4	9	13	7	n/a	n/a	780
2004	739	6	8	14	3	n/a	n/a	770
2005	728	8	9	11	1	n/a	n/a	757
2006	700	10	12	7	0	n/a	n/a	729
2007	689	7	10	10	1	n/a	n/a	717
2008	719	9	11	12	1	n/a	n/a	752
2009	723	7	7	8	1	n/a	n/a	746
2010	763	6	7	21	0	0	10	807
2011	763	7	10	17	1	0	16	814
2012	776	7	9	20	0	2	23	837
2013	770	7	7	21	0	2	22	829
2014	751	16	5	19	0	1	21	813
2015	776	14	5	21	0	0	19	835
2016	750	10	10	25	0	1	25	821
2017	759	11	8	28	1	2	25	834
2018	732	11	6	27	0	2	21	799
2019	733	15	4	47	0	2	32	833
2020	769	11	5	47	1	2	28	863
2021	767	5	5	47	2	1	30	857
2022	793	5	7	32	0	1	36	874
2023	768	8	6	29	1	0	37	849
2024	732	8	7	39	1	0	33	820

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 Indianola Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	403	28.0	14.3	16.6
1989	414	28.8	14.3	8.9
1990	432	28.8	15.0	0
1991	458	29.8	15.3	10.5
1992	510	32.0	15.9	8.8
1993	500	32.6	15.3	10.2
1994	541	32.6	16.6	14.6
1995	516	33.8	15.3	10.5
1996	516	33.8	15.3	10.5
1997	808	59.1	13.7	10.8
1998	768	54.1	14.2	12.8
1999	762	53.6	14.2	17.3
2000	758	48.7	15.6	16.4
2001	719	55.3	13.0	12.9
2002	780	51.2	15.2	19.2
2003	780	51.2	15.2	19.2
2004	770	54.5	14.1	17.4
2005	757	54.6	13.9	14.9
2006	729	54.4	13.4	19.3
2007	717	53.4	13.4	20.5
2008	752	48.6	15.5	23.8
2009	746	50.4	14.8	23.3
2010	807	52.4	15.4	28.7
2011	814	52.0	15.6	27.1
2012	837	53.1	15.7	28.2
2013	829	55.3	14.9	29.4
2014	813	56.3	14.4	28.7
2015	835	55.0	15.1	27.3
2016	821	55.0	14.9	28.4
2017	834	57.1	14.6	23.3
2018	799	53.7	14.8	16.9
2019	833	52.2	15.9	32.1
2020	863	55.4	15.5	31.2
2021	857	53.8	15.9	27.1
2022	874	53.7	16.2	24.5
2023	849	55.9	15.1	31.8
2024	820	54.8	14.9	31.2

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 Indianola Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	403	28.0	14.3	16.6
1989	414	28.8	14.3	8.9
1990	432	28.8	15.0	0
1991	458	29.8	15.3	10.5
1992	510	32.0	15.9	8.8
1993	500	32.6	15.3	10.2
1994	541	32.6	16.6	14.6
1995	516	33.8	15.3	10.5
1996	516	33.8	15.3	10.5
1997	808	59.1	13.7	10.8
1998	768	54.1	14.2	12.8
1999	762	53.6	14.2	17.3
2000	758	48.7	15.6	16.4
2001	719	55.3	13.0	12.9
2002	780	51.2	15.2	19.2
2003	780	51.2	15.2	19.2
2004	770	54.5	14.1	17.4
2005	757	54.6	13.9	14.9
2006	729	54.4	13.4	19.3
2007	717	53.4	13.4	20.5
2008	752	48.6	15.5	23.8
2009	746	50.4	14.8	23.3
2010	807	52.4	15.4	28.7
2011	814	52.0	15.6	27.1
2012	837	53.1	15.7	28.2
2013	829	55.3	14.9	29.4
2014	813	56.3	14.4	28.7
2015	835	55.0	15.1	27.3
2016	821	55.0	14.9	28.4
2017	834	57.1	14.6	23.3
2018	799	53.7	14.8	16.9
2019	833	52.2	15.9	32.1
2020	863	55.4	15.5	31.2
2021	857	53.8	15.9	27.1
2022	874	53.7	16.2	24.5
2023	849	55.9	15.1	31.8
2024	820	54.8	14.9	31.2

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 Indianola Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$196 (1.6%)	$11,977 (98.4%)	$12,173

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Indianola 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 105^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 157^th of 334 Middle schools	16.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indianola Middle School)	77.1	78	0.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Indianola Community School District)	77.1	78	0.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Indianola Middle School)	81.7	77.1	4.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Indianola Community School District)	81.7	77.1	4.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indianola Middle School)	75.2	70.4	4.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Indianola Community School District)	75.2	70.4	4.8%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Indianola Middle School)	75.6	70.7	4.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Indianola Community School District)	75.6	70.7	4.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indianola Middle School)	65.5	82.7	17.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Indianola Community School District)	65.5	82.7	17.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Indianola Middle School)	81.2	80.5	0.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Indianola Community School District)	81.2	80.5	0.7%
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	833	849	1.9%
African American	15	8	46.7%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	4	6	50%
Hispanic	47	29	38.3%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	733	768	4.8%
Two or More Races	32	37	15.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	32.1%	31.8%	0.3%

Schools Near Indianola 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 4th Grade	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 4th 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
Indianola Middle School	Public	6-8	403 S 15th St	Indianola	50125	Warren County	Indianola Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 961-9530	820	55	14.9	31.2%	732 (89.3%)	8 (1.0%)	39 (4.8%)	7 (0.9%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.0%)	61	140^th of 337 public middle schools	58.5%		58.7	157^th of 334 public middle schools	53.0%	17			77.8	81.6	82.7			73.9	76.3	83.4		66.0	$12,173	$196	$11,977
Carlisle Middle School	Public	6-8	325 Scotchridge Rd	Carlisle	50047	Warren County	Carlisle Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 989-0833	531	41	12.8	33.0%	432 (81.4%)	9 (1.7%)	57 (10.7%)	19 (3.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.6%)	35.5	252^nd of 337 public middle schools	25.2%		49.4	196^th of 334 public middle schools	41.3%	56			65.9	61.8	75.9			68.9	65.9	76.1		61.7	$10,769	$174	$10,595
Norwalk Middle School	Public	6-8	200 Cherry Street	Norwalk	50211	Warren County	Norwalk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 981-0435	804	51	15.6	18.0%	705 (87.7%)	11 (1.4%)	60 (7.5%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (3.1%)	62.4	136^th of 337 public middle schools	59.6%		64.4	113^th of 334 public middle schools	66.2%	23			76.9	75.9	72.4			82.1	77.0	90.3		78.0	$14,307	$188	$14,119
McCombs Middle School	Public	6-8	201 SW County Line Rd	Des Moines	50320	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8447	644	40	16.1	77.0%	172 (26.7%)	125 (19.4%)	239 (37.1%)	59 (9.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (7.3%)	7.7	318^th of 337 public middle schools	5.6%		3.1	323^rd of 334 public middle schools	3.3%	5			53.2	62.6	58.5			50.2	51.6	56.4		46.3	$14,664	$1,066	$13,598
Southeast Warren Intermediate	Public	4-6	519 N Washington Ave	Lacona	50139	Warren County	Southeast Warren Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 534-4701	95	8	11.6	36.8%	86 (90.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.1%)								(n/a)	79.4	81.3	100.0			73.5	71.9	96.4			65.6		$11,394	$342	$11,052
Weeks Middle School	Public	6-8	901 East Park Avenue	Des Moines	50315	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8449	668	42	15.9	77.7%	132 (19.8%)	123 (18.4%)	271 (40.6%)	96 (14.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (6.7%)	1.3	333^rd of 337 public middle schools	1.2%		1.4	327^th of 334 public middle schools	2.1%	6			47.7	41.5	49.7			42.0	28.4	35.2		40.8	$14,586	$1,091	$13,495
Pleasantville Middle School	Public	7-8	415 Jones St	Pleasantville	50225	Marion County	Pleasantville Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 848-0528	126	7	18.3	39.7%	111 (88.1%)	1 (0.8%)	9 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.0%)	55.8	168^th of 337 public middle schools	50.1%		63	122^nd of 334 public middle schools	63.5%	46				81.3	81.4				70.3	81.4		62.7	$6,497	$87	$6,410
Brody Middle School	Public	6-8	2501 Park Ave	Des Moines	50321	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8443	598	32	18.6	64.5%	278 (46.5%)	74 (12.4%)	177 (29.6%)	26 (4.3%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.5%)	6.6	320^th of 337 public middle schools	5.0%		2.3	325^th of 334 public middle schools	2.7%	5			52.8	52.2	59.9			46.7	42.3	63.4		45.1	$14,143	$628	$13,515
Hiatt Middle School	Public	6-8	1430 E. University Ave	Des Moines	50316	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-7774	466	36	12.8	83.7%	61 (13.1%)	101 (21.7%)	252 (54.1%)	30 (6.4%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	19 (4.1%)	0.2	335^th of 337 public middle schools	0.6%		0.6	331^st of 334 public middle schools	0.9%	4			37.1	37.1	40.6			35.6	26.6	34.3		23.1	$16,661	$1,079	$15,582
Callanan Middle School	Public	6-8	3010 Center Street	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8101	543	33	16.5	74.0%	142 (26.2%)	213 (39.2%)	113 (20.8%)	22 (4.1%)	3 (0.6%)	5 (0.9%)	43 (7.9%)	6.9	319^th of 337 public middle schools	5.3%		7.2	316^th of 334 public middle schools	5.4%	3			51.1	56.1	64.4			44.4	42.4	57.1		50.3	$15,075	$880	$14,196

Frequently Asked Questions about Indianola Middle School

Is Indianola Middle School a good school?

Indianola Middle School ranks 140^th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Indianola Middle School?

Students at Indianola Middle School are 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

How many students attend Indianola Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 820 students attended Indianola Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Indianola Middle School attend?

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

What district is Indianola Middle School in?

Indianola Community School District

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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.