Enrollment
715
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Carlisle, IA
Carlisle Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Carlisle Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190627000214
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 25
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carlisle Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Carlisle · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 26.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Carlisle Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carlisle Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Carlisle, IA.
School address
District: Carlisle Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190627000214 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carlisle Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carlisle Elementary School
Carlisle Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Carlisle, Iowa, enrolling 715 students.
At 14.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 92% of state schools at 715 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 183 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #136, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 376 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Carlisle Comm School District also operates Carlisle High School (754 students) and Carlisle Middle School (518 students) alongside Carlisle 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 Carlisle Elementary School compares
Carlisle 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.0% | ▼ 29% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 715 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
715
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 60% in Iowa - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,562
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
Counselors1.9 FTE
Per 376 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 78.5%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%
Asian 4.2%
Two or More 4.2%
African American 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 78.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.7, Carlisle Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlisle Comm School District, which includes Carlisle Elementary School.
$10,562
Per student
-18%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.0%
State 56.1%
Federal 9.9%
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 Carlisle Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carlisle Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hartford Upper Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carlisle Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 754
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 518
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 303
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~715 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carlisle Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Carlisle Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Carlisle 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 Carlisle Elementary School
How many students attend Carlisle Elementary School?
Carlisle Elementary School has 715 students enrolled. It is a public school in Carlisle, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carlisle Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Carlisle Elementary School is 14.6:1, which is 1% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 7% 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 Carlisle Elementary School?
26.0% of students at Carlisle Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carlisle Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Carlisle Elementary School is White at 78.5% of enrollment, in Carlisle, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carlisle Elementary School?
Carlisle Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical 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 Carlisle Elementary School rank among public schools in Carlisle?
By Resource Investment Index, Carlisle Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Carlisle, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Carlisle on the city page.
Is Carlisle Elementary School a good school?
Carlisle Elementary School earns 41/100 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 Carlisle Comm School District?
Besides Carlisle Elementary School, Carlisle Comm School District also operates Carlisle High School (754 students), Carlisle Middle School (518 students), and Hartford Upper Elementary (303 students). See the Carlisle 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.