Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School

Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School is a close-knit senior high in Clarion, Iowa, part of Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Comm School District. The school enrolls 291 students in grades 9 through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 38% leaner than the state mean of about 468.

Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Comm School District runs 2 schools in total, collectively educating 760 students. Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School is one of those campuses.

On demographics, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School lists that 59% of the student body identifies as White; the rest reads as 38% Hispanic. By comparison, Wright County as a whole is about 77% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School lists 23 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.3:1, putting Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School tighter than the state norm the norm. About 51% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 66.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 66.3%.

In the broader community, census data for Wright County shows median household earnings sit near $67,190, roughly 25% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 14%. Across Wright County's 9 public schools (combined enrollment of about 2,451 students), Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Elementary School, around 0.5 miles off. Within ten miles, there are 3 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School ranks 4th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 63.9%.

Clarion-Goldfield-Dows High School operates from an outlying location.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count held roughly steady: 291 students in 2018 compared to 291 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 71% to 59% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 15.2:1 in 2018 to 12.6:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.