Enrollment
429
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Altoona, IA
Altoona Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Altoona Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192682001566
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Altoona Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Altoona · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 43.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Altoona Elementary has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Altoona Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Altoona, IA.
School address
District: Southeast Polk Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192682001566 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Altoona Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Altoona Elementary
Altoona Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Altoona, Iowa, enrolling 429 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 43.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 429 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 351 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #200.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and African American (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 429 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Altoona's public schools, it stands alongside Clay Elementary (700 students): Altoona Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 18.9:1).
Southeast Polk Comm School District also operates Southeast Polk High School (1,722 students) and Spring Creek - 6th Grade (1,112 students) alongside Altoona Elementary.
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 Altoona Elementary compares
Altoona Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 12% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.0% | ▲ 18% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 429 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
429
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 35% in Iowa - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
23.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,914
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 429 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 64.6%
African American 15.4%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 2.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 64.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.3, Altoona Elementary is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southeast Polk Comm School District, which includes Altoona Elementary.
$11,914
Per student
-7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.9%
State 52.1%
Federal 10.0%
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 Altoona Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Polk High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spring Creek - 6th Grade | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast Polk Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clay Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willowbrook Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Altoona Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,722
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,112
- Students per teacher
- 32.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Altoona
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~429 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Altoona Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Altoona Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Southeast Polk 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 Altoona Elementary
How many students attend Altoona Elementary?
Altoona Elementary has 429 students enrolled. It is a public school in Altoona, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Altoona Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Altoona Elementary is 13:1, which is 12% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Altoona Elementary?
43.0% of students at Altoona Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Altoona Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Altoona Elementary is White at 64.6% of enrollment, in Altoona, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Altoona Elementary?
Altoona Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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).
How does Altoona Elementary rank among schools in Altoona?
By Resource Investment Index, Altoona Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Altoona, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Altoona on the city page.
Is Altoona Elementary a good school?
Altoona Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools. 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 Southeast Polk Comm School District?
Besides Altoona Elementary, Southeast Polk Comm School District also operates Southeast Polk High School (1,722 students), Spring Creek - 6th Grade (1,112 students), and Southeast Polk Junior High (1,088 students). See the Southeast Polk 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.