Enrollment
472
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cedar Falls, IA
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190651002256
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Iowa schools.
- #4 of 10
- schools in Cedar Falls · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.3:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 7.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary has class sizes larger than 80% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary ranks #4 of 10 schools in Cedar Falls, IA.
School address
District: Cedar Falls Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190651002256 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Cedar Falls, Iowa, enrolling 472 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.0% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 472 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 137 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #44.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 477 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 3.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Cedar Falls's public schools, it stands alongside Peet Junior High School (695 students): Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.3:1 vs 14.2:1).
Cedar Falls Comm School District also operates Cedar Falls High School (1,333 students) and Peet Junior High School (695 students) alongside Bess Streeter Aldrich 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 Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary compares
Bess Streeter Aldrich 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.0% | ▼ 81% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 472 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
472
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 80% in Iowa - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
3.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,378
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
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 86.4%
Two or More 4.7%
Asian 3.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
African American 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 86.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.9, Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedar Falls Comm School District, which includes Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary.
$11,378
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.2%
State 51.4%
Federal 9.4%
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 Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Falls High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Peet Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Holmes Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Helen a Hansen Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southdale Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,333
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools in Cedar Falls
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Peet Junior High School
Standard public school
695 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Holmes Junior High School
Standard public school
628 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Helen a Hansen Elementary School
Standard public school
569 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Southdale Elementary School
Standard public school
539 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Orchard Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
458 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Cedar Heights Elementary School
Standard public school
451 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~472 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Falls 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 Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary
How many students attend Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary?
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary has 472 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cedar Falls, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary is 16.3:1, which is 10% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary?
7.0% of students at Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary is White at 86.4% of enrollment, in Cedar Falls, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary?
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary 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 Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary rank among schools in Cedar Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary ranks #4 of 10 schools in Cedar Falls, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cedar Falls on the city page.
Is Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary a good school?
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of 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 Cedar Falls Comm School District?
Besides Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary, Cedar Falls Comm School District also operates Cedar Falls High School (1,333 students), Peet Junior High School (695 students), and Holmes Junior High School (628 students). See the Cedar Falls 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.