Norwalk Middle School

Q: Is Norwalk Middle School a good school?

Norwalk Middle School ranks 136 th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Norwalk Middle School is a public middle school serving 787 students in grades 6-8 in Norwalk, Iowa, which is part of the Norwalk Community School District. The school consistently outperforms the state average on academic assessments and has maintained a strong ranking and rating from SchoolDigger over the years.

Norwalk Middle School stands out for its academic excellence, with 82.1% of 6th graders proficient or better in Math, compared to the state average of 71.1%. The school has been ranked in the top 25% of Iowa middle schools for several years, reaching as high as 19th out of 343 schools in 2015-2016. Additionally, Norwalk Middle School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 15.1 to 16.6 over the past three years, which can provide students with more individualized attention and support.

While Norwalk Middle School has maintained a high ranking and rating, its statewide ranking has declined from 23rd in 2016-2017 to 136th in 2023-2024, indicating that the school is facing increasing competition from other high-performing middle schools in the state. Additionally, the school's student population is predominantly White (around 87-88%), which is in contrast to nearby schools like Hiatt Middle School and Weeks Middle School, which have much more diverse student populations.

Detail:

Public 6-8

200 Cherry Street
Norwalk, IA 50211

(515) 981-0435

District: Norwalk Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
136^th of 337 Iowa Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,307

Students who attend Norwalk Middle School usually attend:

High:

Norwalk Senior High School

Feeder schools for Norwalk Middle School:

Elementary:	Lakewood Elementary School
	Oviatt Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 15.6

Number of students: 804

Racial breakdown:

White:

87.7%

Hispanic:

7.5%

Two or more races:

3.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Norwalk Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Norwalk Middle School ranks better than 59.6% of middle schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 62.35. (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 (87.7%), Hispanic (7.5%), two or more races (3.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Norwalk Middle School is 15.6. (See more...)

Compare Norwalk Middle School employs 51.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Norwalk Middle School is $14,307.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Norwalk Middle School 136^th of 337 Iowa public middle schools. (See Norwalk Middle School in the ranking list.)

Norwalk Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Norwalk Community School District 107^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Norwalk Middle School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	84.51	12^th	349	96.6%
2013	81.08	20^th	350	94.3%
2014	81.16	26^th	337	92.3%
2015	82.17	25^th	349	92.8%
2016	85.31	19^th	343	94.5%
2017	81.24	23^rd	327	93.0%
2018	72.65	68^th	318	78.6%
2019	70.04	78^th	342	77.2%
2021	71.50	71^st	324	78.1%
2022	65.30	107^th	337	68.2%
2023	64.41	113^th	334	66.2%
2024	62.35	136^th	337	59.6%

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 Norwalk Middle School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	355	0	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	358
1989	364	3	1	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	369
1990	385	5	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	393
1991	393	4	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	403
1992	446	1	5	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	454
1993	444	1	2	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	451
1994	472	3	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	480
1995	448	4	7	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	463
1996	448	4	7	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	463
1997	452	3	5	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	465
1998	437	2	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	445
1999	450	2	6	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	466
2000	459	6	7	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	474
2001	464	4	13	5	4	n/a	n/a	0	490
2002	487	5	11	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
2003	487	5	11	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	510
2004	525	2	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	540
2005	518	5	9	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	540
2006	505	7	6	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	526
2007	532	7	5	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	557
2008	530	5	5	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	557
2009	554	5	5	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	576
2010	550	2	7	14	7	0	13	0	593
2011	548	2	5	14	6	0	18	0	593
2012	585	2	4	15	2	0	15	0	623
2013	544	4	5	23	3	0	14	0	593
2014	574	8	4	32	2	1	9	0	630
2015	530	6	6	35	3	1	7	0	588
2016	533	5	12	35	1	1	11	0	598
2017	574	8	15	33	3	0	20	0	653
2018	637	10	15	34	2	0	23	0	721
2019	651	14	8	34	3	0	36	0	746
2020	658	16	9	44	4	0	37	0	768
2021	665	16	7	47	3	0	39	0	777
2022	706	15	7	43	2	0	26	2	801
2023	691	14	3	52	0	0	26	1	787
2024	705	11	3	60	0	0	25	0	804

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 Norwalk Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	358	24.3	14.7	7.3
1989	369	25.3	14.5	4.1
1990	393	25.1	15.6	3.8
1991	403	26.6	15.1	4.7
1992	454	27.0	16.8	4.2
1993	451	26.8	16.8	6.9
1994	480	31.5	15.2	6.3
1995	463	34.1	13.6	8
1996	463	34.1	13.6	8
1997	465	34.5	13.5	8.4
1998	445	37.5	11.9	7
1999	466	32.7	14.3	17.2
2000	474	35.0	13.5	11.6
2001	490	34.9	14.0	11
2002	510	37.0	13.8	9.6
2003	510	37.0	13.8	9.6
2004	540	37.5	14.4	11.7
2005	540	36.4	14.8	13.5
2006	526	37.5	14.0	12.7
2007	557	26.1	21.3	13.3
2008	557	45.4	12.3	11.8
2009	576	45.6	12.6	15.8
2010	593	47.0	12.6	15.9
2011	593	41.1	14.4	17.5
2012	623	41.3	15.0	18.3
2013	593	40.0	14.8	19.1
2014	630	41.8	15.0	20.6
2015	588	45.0	13.0	18.2
2016	598	43.0	13.9	17.6
2017	653	46.8	13.9	17.9
2018	721	41.6	17.3	18.2
2019	746	43.3	17.1	19
2020	768	47.8	16.0	20.8
2021	777	50.2	15.4	19.9
2022	801	48.1	16.6	20.5
2023	787	51.8	15.1	21.2
2024	804	51.3	15.6	18

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 Norwalk Middle School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	358	24.3	14.7	7.3
1989	369	25.3	14.5	4.1
1990	393	25.1	15.6	3.8
1991	403	26.6	15.1	4.7
1992	454	27.0	16.8	4.2
1993	451	26.8	16.8	6.9
1994	480	31.5	15.2	6.3
1995	463	34.1	13.6	8
1996	463	34.1	13.6	8
1997	465	34.5	13.5	8.4
1998	445	37.5	11.9	7
1999	466	32.7	14.3	17.2
2000	474	35.0	13.5	11.6
2001	490	34.9	14.0	11
2002	510	37.0	13.8	9.6
2003	510	37.0	13.8	9.6
2004	540	37.5	14.4	11.7
2005	540	36.4	14.8	13.5
2006	526	37.5	14.0	12.7
2007	557	26.1	21.3	13.3
2008	557	45.4	12.3	11.8
2009	576	45.6	12.6	15.8
2010	593	47.0	12.6	15.9
2011	593	41.1	14.4	17.5
2012	623	41.3	15.0	18.3
2013	593	40.0	14.8	19.1
2014	630	41.8	15.0	20.6
2015	588	45.0	13.0	18.2
2016	598	43.0	13.9	17.6
2017	653	46.8	13.9	17.9
2018	721	41.6	17.3	18.2
2019	746	43.3	17.1	19
2020	768	47.8	16.0	20.8
2021	777	50.2	15.4	19.9
2022	801	48.1	16.6	20.5
2023	787	51.8	15.1	21.2
2024	804	51.3	15.6	18

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 Norwalk Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$188 (1.3%)	$14,119 (98.7%)	$14,307

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Norwalk 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 78^th of 342 Middle schools	Ranks 113^th of 334 Middle schools	11%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Norwalk Middle School)	70.4	72.4	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Norwalk Community School District)	70.4	72.4	2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Norwalk Middle School)	75.2	76.4	1.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Norwalk Community School District)	75.2	76.4	1.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Norwalk Middle School)	82.6	81.2	1.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Norwalk Community School District)	82.6	81.2	1.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.9	74.2	4.3%
7th Grade Mathematics (Norwalk Middle School)	79.4	75.5	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Norwalk Community School District)	79.4	75.5	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	70.1	68.9	1.2%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Norwalk Middle School)	76.1	80.9	4.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Norwalk Community School District)	76.1	80.9	4.8%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	69.5	76	6.5%
8th Grade Mathematics (Norwalk Middle School)	81.1	84.8	3.7%
8th Grade Mathematics (Norwalk Community School District)	81.1	84.8	3.7%
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	746	787	5.5%
African American	14	14
American Indian	3	0	100%
Asian	8	3	62.5%
Hispanic	34	52	52.9%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	651	691	6.1%
Two or More Races	36	26	27.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	19%	21.2%	2.2%

Schools Near Norwalk 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 6th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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
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
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
Merrill Middle School	Public	6-8	5301 Grand Ave	Des Moines	50312	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8448	651	37	17.3	36.4%	384 (59.0%)	105 (16.1%)	74 (11.4%)	22 (3.4%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	59 (9.1%)	42.5	224^th of 337 public middle schools	33.5%		42.4	220^th of 334 public middle schools	34.1%	4	73.4	73.4	77.3	70.3	67.1	69.0	65.9	$12,938	$599	$12,340
Stilwell Junior High School	Public	7-8	1601 Vine St	West Des Moines	50265	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-6000	644	48	13.4	29.0%	404 (62.7%)	81 (12.6%)	92 (14.3%)	24 (3.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.5%)	52.1	189^th of 337 public middle schools	43.9%		56.8	166^th of 334 public middle schools	50.3%	23		76.9	79.3		66.2	82.0	67.2	$15,102	$192	$14,909
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
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
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
Indian Hills Junior High School	Public	7-8	9401 Indian Hills Dr	Clive	50325	Polk County	West Des Moines Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 633-4700	653	55	11.8	33.2%	333 (51.0%)	77 (11.8%)	149 (22.8%)	55 (8.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.8%)	59.8	149^th of 337 public middle schools	55.8%		65.5	109^th of 334 public middle schools	67.4%	40		83.2	77.3		78.9	81.3	64.5	$15,125	$193	$14,931

Frequently Asked Questions about Norwalk Middle School

What high school do graduates of Norwalk Middle School attend?

Students who attend Norwalk Middle School usually go on to attend Norwalk Senior High School

How many students attend Norwalk Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 804 students attended Norwalk Middle School.

What district is Norwalk Middle School in?

Norwalk Community School District

Is Norwalk Middle School a good school?

Norwalk Middle School ranks 136^th of 337 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Norwalk Middle School?

Students at Norwalk Middle School are 88% White, 7% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% African American.

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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.