Enrollment
305
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 190579000180
Black Hawk Elementary School — Burlington, IA
Federal NCES profile for Black Hawk Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 29/100.
👥 Class size 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
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: Burlington 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
13.7:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+90% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Black Hawk Elementary School 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
Black Hawk Elementary School reports 305 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 23.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 9% below the Iowa state mean of 15:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 14% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 69.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 90% above the Iowa average and 34% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 610 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 49.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Burlington Comm School District spends $16,738 per pupil district-wide, below the Iowa average of $17,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 26.3% from local sources (property taxes), 57.5% from the state, and 16.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F), calculated from 4 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 Black Hawk Elementary School 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 9% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.3% | ▲ 90% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 305 | top 49% | — | — |
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
69.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 90% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
— 9% below state mean
Top 41% in Iowa — lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
49.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,738
per pupil, district-wide
— below Iowa avg of $17,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 610 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 305 Top 49% in Iowa — larger than 51% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 23.0
Students per teacher 13.7:1 -9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 69.3% +90% vs state
NCES ID 190579000180
Student demographics
White 60.0%
African American 19.3%
Two or More 11.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 60.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 610:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 49.2%
In-school suspensions 14
Out-of-school suspensions 16
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Burlington Comm School District, which includes Black Hawk Elementary School.
$16,738
Per student
-3%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 57.5%
Federal 16.2%
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
- 1,016
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Enrollment
- 452
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Enrollment
- 298
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
Similar elementary schools in Burlington
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Aldo Leopold Intermediate School
Standard public school
412 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Sunnyside Elementary School
Standard public school
298 students 10.7:1 students per teacher
North Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
268 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
James Wilson Grimes School
Standard public school
212 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
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 Black Hawk Elementary School
How many students attend Black Hawk Elementary School?
Black Hawk Elementary School has 305 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Burlington, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Black Hawk Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Black Hawk Elementary School is 13.7:1, which is 9% lower than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Black Hawk Elementary School?
69.3% of students at Black Hawk Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Black Hawk Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Black Hawk Elementary School is White at 60.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Burlington, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Black Hawk Elementary School?
Black Hawk Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.