Enrollment
268
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Newton, IA
Aurora Heights Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Aurora Heights Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192061002233
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Aurora Heights Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Newton · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 50.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Aurora Heights Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Aurora Heights Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Newton, IA.
School address
District: Newton Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192061002233 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Aurora Heights Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Aurora Heights Elementary School
Aurora Heights Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Newton, Iowa, enrolling 268 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 268 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 230 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #99.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 298 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Newton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Berg Middle School (790 students): Aurora Heights Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.8:1 vs 13.2:1).
Newton Comm School District also operates Newton Senior High School (806 students) and Berg Middle School (790 students) alongside Aurora Heights 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 Aurora Heights Elementary School compares
Aurora Heights 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 14% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.4% | ▲ 38% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 268 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
268
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 33% in Iowa - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
23.9%
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
$12,608
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newton Comm School District, which includes Aurora Heights Elementary School.
$12,608
Per student
-2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.4%
State 54.9%
Federal 12.7%
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 Aurora Heights Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Berg Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Emerson Hough Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodrow Wilson Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Aurora Heights Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 380
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 336
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 306
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Newton
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~268 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Aurora Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Aurora Heights Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Newton 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 Aurora Heights Elementary School
How many students attend Aurora Heights Elementary School?
Aurora Heights Elementary School has 268 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Newton, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Aurora Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Aurora Heights Elementary School is 12.8:1, which is 14% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 18% 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 Aurora Heights Elementary School?
50.4% of students at Aurora Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Aurora Heights Elementary School?
Aurora Heights Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Aurora Heights Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Newton?
By Resource Investment Index, Aurora Heights Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Newton, 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 Newton on the city page.
Is Aurora Heights Elementary School a good school?
Aurora Heights Elementary School earns 50/100 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 Newton Comm School District?
Besides Aurora Heights Elementary School, Newton Comm School District also operates Newton Senior High School (806 students), Berg Middle School (790 students), and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (380 students). See the Newton 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.