Enrollment
357
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 192091002314
Big Creek Elementary — Polk City, IA
Federal NCES profile for Big Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 38/100.
👥 Class size 38
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: North Polk Comm School District · Iowa
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
+3% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Big Creek Elementary reports 357 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% above the Iowa state mean of 15:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 3% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 8.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 77% below the Iowa average and 84% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding North Polk Comm School District spends $20,014 per pupil district-wide, above the Iowa average of $17,211 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 39.6% from local sources (property taxes), 53.4% from the state, and 6.9% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (F), calculated from 1 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Big Creek Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Iowa state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.4:1 | ▲ 3% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 8.2% | ▼ 77% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 357 | top 60% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
8.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 77% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.4:1
students per teacher
— 3% above state mean
Top 69% in Iowa — lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Funding equity
$20,014
per pupil, district-wide
— above Iowa avg of $17,211
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Overview
Enrollment 357 Top 60% in Iowa — larger than 40% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 15.4:1 +3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 8.2% -77% vs state
NCES ID 192091002314
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.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Polk Comm School District, which includes Big Creek Elementary.
$20,014
Per student
+16%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Big Creek Elementary
How many students attend Big Creek Elementary?
Big Creek Elementary has 357 students enrolled. It is a 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 15.4:1, which is 3% higher than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 (F) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.