Enrollment
256
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alta, IA
Alta Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Alta Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190348000045
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Alta Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 37.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 256
- students enrolled
Alta Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Alta-Aurelia Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190348000045 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Alta Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Alta Elementary School
Alta Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Alta, Iowa, enrolling 256 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 37.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 256 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 405 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #110.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 256 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Alta-Aurelia Comm School District also operates Alta-Aurelia Middle Sch (228 students) and Alta-Aurelia High School (221 students) alongside Alta Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Alta Elementary School compares
Alta Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.6% | ▲ 3% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 256 | top 63% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
256
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 67% in Iowa - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,205
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 256 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 64.5%
Hispanic or Latino 21.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 7.4%
African American 3.1%
Two or More 2.3%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 64.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.1, Alta Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alta-Aurelia Comm School District, which includes Alta Elementary School.
$12,205
Per student
-5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.6%
State 45.5%
Federal 11.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Alta Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alta-Aurelia Middle Sch | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alta-Aurelia High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aurelia Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Alta Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 228
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 221
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 124
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~256 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Alta Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Alta Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Alta-Aurelia Comm School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Alta Elementary School
How many students attend Alta Elementary School?
Alta Elementary School has 256 students enrolled. It is a public school in Alta, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Alta Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Alta Elementary School is 15.1:1, which is 2% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alta Elementary School?
37.6% of students at Alta Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alta Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Alta Elementary School is White at 64.5% of enrollment, in Alta, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alta Elementary School?
Alta Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Alta Elementary School a good school?
Alta Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Alta-Aurelia Comm School District?
Besides Alta Elementary School, Alta-Aurelia Comm School District also operates Alta-Aurelia Middle Sch (228 students), Alta-Aurelia High School (221 students), and Aurelia Elementary School (124 students). See the Alta-Aurelia Comm School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.