Newell-Fonda Middle School

As a minimally staffed middle school in Newell, Iowa, Newell-Fonda Middle School instructs 124 students from grades 6 through 8, one of the schools within Newell-Fonda Comm School District. Enrollment runs roughly 69% below the state mean of about 400.

Newell-Fonda Comm School District comprises 3 schools with combined enrollment of 542 students; Newell-Fonda Middle School is among them.

On the student-mix side, Newell-Fonda Middle School records that White students make up the majority at 79%. The remainder is composed of 13% Hispanic, 4% multiracial, 4% Pacific Islander. That is considerably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 60%.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Newell-Fonda Middle School has 7 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 18.1:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 15.2:1 average. Around 42% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. That share is lower than Buena Vista County's rate of about 60%.

With demographic context factored in, Newell-Fonda Middle School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 71.0%, the actual is 73.4%, a residual of +2.5 points.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Buena Vista County) records that median household income runs about $71,719, about 22% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Buena Vista County runs 15 public schools (combined enrollment of about 4,691 students), of which Newell-Fonda Middle School is one.

Nearest neighbor: Newell-Fonda Elementary, around 0.0 miles off. 2 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Newell-Fonda Middle School at 1st of 6; the average score across the group is 52.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Newell-Fonda Middle School's enrollment has expanded 6% since 2018, when it stood at 117 (now 124). Over the same period, the Hispanic share fell from 18% to 13%. Class-load math has grew: from 14.9:1 in 2018 to 18.1:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, the feed for Newell-Fonda Middle School typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.