Enrollment
357
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Polk City, IA
Big Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Big Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192091002314
👥 S:T ratio 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Creek Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Iowa schools.
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 8.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 357
- students enrolled
Big Creek Elementary has class sizes larger than 72% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: North Polk Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192091002314 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
8.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Creek Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Creek Elementary
Big Creek Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Polk City, Iowa, enrolling 357 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 8.2% free-meal eligibility runs 77% below the Iowa average.
With 357 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 146 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #133, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
North Polk Comm School District also operates North Polk High School (644 students) and North Polk Middle School (504 students) alongside Big Creek 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 Big Creek Elementary compares
Big Creek 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.2% | ▼ 77% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 357 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
357
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
8.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 72% in Iowa - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$11,296
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.
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 91.0%
Two or More 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 91.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.9, Big Creek Elementary is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Polk Comm School District, which includes Big Creek Elementary.
$11,296
Per student
-12%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.6%
State 53.4%
Federal 6.9%
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 Big Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Polk High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Polk Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Polk Central Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Polk West Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~357 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Big Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- North 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 Big Creek Elementary
How many students attend Big Creek Elementary?
Big Creek Elementary has 357 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Polk City, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Creek Elementary is 15.5:1, which is 5% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Creek Elementary?
8.2% of students at Big Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Big Creek Elementary is White at 91.0% of enrollment, in Polk City, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Creek Elementary?
Big Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
Is Big Creek Elementary a good school?
Big Creek Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 North Polk Comm School District?
Besides Big Creek Elementary, North Polk Comm School District also operates North Polk High School (644 students), North Polk Middle School (504 students), and North Polk Central Elementary School (408 students). See the North 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.