Manson Northwest Webster Elementary

Manson Northwest Webster Elementary, a moderately sized K-5 school in Barnum, Iowa, part of Manson Northwest Webster Comm School District, caters to 439 students, covering grades pre-K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 325 students per school, that is 35% larger than typical.

Manson Northwest Webster Elementary is one of 2 schools operated by Manson Northwest Webster Comm School District, a district that educates 776 students overall.

In terms of who attends, Manson Northwest Webster Elementary lists that the student body is overwhelmingly White (92%); the rest comes out to 5% multiracial, 2% Hispanic.

Looking at the economic backdrop, Manson Northwest Webster Elementary shows 30 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 14.8:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 13.7:1 average. Around 32% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Webster County (around 50%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

Zooming out to the county, community-level numbers for Webster County indicate median household earnings sit near $68,975, about 22% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Manson Northwest Webster Elementary is one of 12 public schools in Webster County (combined enrollment of about 4,678 students).

Nearest neighbor: Manson Northwest Webster Junior High/High School, around 8.7 miles off. 5 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a ten-mile radius, suggesting a relatively low-density school footprint.

The school occupies an outlying site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Manson Northwest Webster Elementary's enrollment has fell 8% since 2018, when it stood at 479 (now 439). Class-load math has fell: from 16.1:1 in 2018 to 14.8:1 in 2025.

On this page, posts here usually surface around enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. The community welcomes input from current and former families.