Enrollment
548
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ankeny, IA
Ashland Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ashland Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190369002094
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ashland Ridge Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #3 of 10
- elementary schools in Ankeny · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 9.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Ashland Ridge Elementary has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ashland Ridge Elementary ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Ankeny, IA.
School address
District: Ankeny Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190369002094 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ashland Ridge Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ashland Ridge Elementary
Ashland Ridge Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Ankeny, Iowa, enrolling 548 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.2% free-meal eligibility runs 75% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 548 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 145 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (7%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Ankeny's elementary schools, it stands alongside Rock Creek Elementary (639 students): Ashland Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.8:1 vs 14.9:1).
Ankeny Comm School District also operates Ankeny Centennial High School (1,470 students) and Ankeny High School (1,375 students) alongside Ashland Ridge 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 Ashland Ridge Elementary compares
Ashland Ridge 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 | 14.8:1 | ▼ 0% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.2% | ▼ 75% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 548 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
548
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 63% in Iowa - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.0%
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
$11,716
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 274 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 77.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
African American 5.3%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 4.6%
Largest group: White at 77.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.1, Ashland Ridge Elementary is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ankeny Comm School District, which includes Ashland Ridge Elementary.
$11,716
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.8%
State 50.4%
Federal 5.8%
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 Ashland Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankeny Centennial High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ankeny High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northview Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Ridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southview Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ashland Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,021
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,004
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Ankeny
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Rock Creek Elementary
Standard public school
639 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Heritage Elementary
Standard public school
604 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Northeast Elementary
Standard public school
595 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Southeast Elementary School
Standard public school
585 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Westwood Elementary School
Standard public school
551 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Prairie Trail Elementary
Standard public school
526 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~548 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ashland Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ashland Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Ankeny 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 Ashland Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Ashland Ridge Elementary?
Ashland Ridge Elementary has 548 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ankeny, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ashland Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ashland Ridge Elementary is 14.8:1, which is 0% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ashland Ridge Elementary?
9.2% of students at Ashland Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ashland Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ashland Ridge Elementary is White at 77.9% of enrollment, in Ankeny, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ashland Ridge Elementary?
Ashland Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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).
How does Ashland Ridge Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ankeny?
By Resource Investment Index, Ashland Ridge Elementary ranks #3 of 10 elementary schools in Ankeny, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Ankeny on the city page.
Is Ashland Ridge Elementary a good school?
Ashland Ridge Elementary earns 51/100 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 Ankeny Comm School District?
Besides Ashland Ridge Elementary, Ankeny Comm School District also operates Ankeny Centennial High School (1,470 students), Ankeny High School (1,375 students), and Northview Middle School (1,021 students). See the Ankeny 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.