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Spirit Lake Middle School

Q: Is Spirit Lake Middle School a good school?

Spirit Lake Middle School ranks 124 th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

124^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 344 Iowa Middle Schools

Better than 64% of Iowa middle schools

Summary

Spirit Lake Middle School is a public middle school serving grades 5-8 in the Spirit Lake Community School District in Spirit Lake, Iowa. With 364 students and a student-teacher ratio of 15.3, the school consistently outperforms the state average in academic assessments and has lower chronic absenteeism rates compared to the state.

One key differentiator for Spirit Lake Middle School is its strong academic performance. In the 2024-2025 school year, 81.4% of 8th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 80.2%. In mathematics, 83.3% of 6th graders were proficient or better, significantly higher than the state average of 71.8%. This consistent academic excellence has earned the school a ranking in the top 100 middle schools in Iowa over the past several years.

Additionally, Spirit Lake Middle School has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 24.18% in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to the nearby Estherville Lincoln Central Middle School, which had a 54.46% free and reduced lunch rate. The school also spends $12,257 per student, higher than the nearby Spencer Middle School ($11,941) and Estherville Lincoln Central Middle School ($14,122), which may contribute to its strong academic performance and learning environment.

379

Students ?

15.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,257

Per pupil spending ?

28.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

609 28th St
Spirit Lake, IA 51360

(712) 336-1370

District: Spirit Lake Community School District

Students who attend Spirit Lake Middle School usually attend:

High:

Spirit Lake High School

Feeder schools for Spirit Lake Middle School:

Elementary:

Spirit Lake Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.2%

Two or more races:

4.2%

Hispanic:

4.0%

See top rated Iowa middle schools

Compare Spirit Lake Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 87th percentile in 2015 → 64th in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the Iowa median (64th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 23 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school76%

District avg76%

Iowa avg72%

124^th of 344

Iowa public middle schools ?

Top 36%▼ down 23 pts since 2015

From top 13% (2015) to top 36% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

82^nd of 313Spirit Lake Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	62.5	124 of 344	64.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.3	73 of 337	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	69.3	90 of 334	73.1%	★★★★☆
2022	79.3	44 of 337	86.9%	★★★★☆
2021	66.5	100 of 324	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.0	55 of 342	83.9%	★★★★☆
2018	70.1	76 of 318	76.1%	★★★★☆
2017	77.4	43 of 327	86.9%	★★★★☆
2016	61.0	135 of 343	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	77.0	46 of 349	86.8%	★★★★☆
2014	72.6	68 of 337	79.8%	★★★★☆
2013	78.4	32 of 350	90.9%	★★★★★
2012	79.5	26 of 349	92.6%	★★★★★

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics79%+7 vs state

English Language Arts78%+4 vs state

Science68%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Spirit Lake Middle School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)				ISASP Mathematics (2025)				ISASP Science (2025)		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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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
Spirit Lake Middle School	Public	5-8	609 28th St	Spirit Lake	51360	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 336-1370	379	24	15.9	28.5%	338 (89.2%)	5 (1.3%)	15 (4.0%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.2%)	62.5	124^th of 344 public middle schools	64.0%		72.3	73^rd of 337 public middle schools	78.3%	51	72.4	79.8	80.4	81.4	77.6	83.3	75.3	80.2	61.2	75.6	$12,257	$62	$12,195
Okoboji Middle School	Public	5-8	1800 6th Street	Milford	51351	Dickinson County	Okoboji Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 338-4757	339	27	12.3	31.6%	298 (87.9%)	1 (0.3%)	21 (6.2%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (5.3%)	57.7	154^th of 344 public middle schools	55.2%		62.7	131^st of 337 public middle schools	61.1%	23	70.5	65.9	80.5	75.9	78.4	83.0	87.0	75.9	77.3	79.7	$13,326	$189	$13,137
Estherville Lincoln Central Middle School	Public	5-8	1430 1st Ave. S.	Estherville	51334	Emmet County	Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 362-2335	308	29	10.6	55.8%	196 (63.6%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (33.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.9%)	46.4	218^th of 344 public middle schools	36.6%		47.3	207^th of 337 public middle schools	38.6%	11	60.0	64.9	75.0	85.5	72.2	67.5	62.5	85.2	54.4	80.3	$14,122	$205	$13,917
Spencer Middle School	Public	6-8	1400 10th Avenue East	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 262-3345	514	30	17.2	48.4%	448 (87.2%)	5 (1.0%)	41 (8.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.3%)	66.7	106^th of 344 public middle schools	69.2%		63.6	126^th of 337 public middle schools	62.6%	20		73.7	79.3	89.2		83.3	80.4	89.2		72.6	$11,941	$315	$11,626

Frequently Asked Questions about Spirit Lake Middle School

What district is Spirit Lake Middle School in?

Spirit Lake Community School District

Is Spirit Lake Middle School a good school?

Spirit Lake Middle School ranks 124^th of 344 Iowa middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Spirit Lake Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 379 students attended Spirit Lake Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Spirit Lake Middle School attend?

Students who attend Spirit Lake Middle School usually go on to attend Spirit Lake High School

What is the racial makeup of Spirit Lake Middle School?

Students at Spirit Lake Middle School are 89% White, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

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IAIowa Middle School Rankings

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Schools in Spirit Lake, IA

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Latest Iowa data All new data »

2024–25 graduation ratesJun 13, 2026

2024–25 ISASP test scoresAug 20, 2025

2023–24 graduation ratesApr 1, 2025

2017–18 through 2023–24 attendance dataNov 15, 2024

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.