Enrollment
208
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Monticello, IA
Carpenter Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Carpenter Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 191965001152
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carpenter Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Monticello · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 36.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Carpenter Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carpenter Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Monticello, IA.
School address
District: Monticello Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191965001152 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carpenter Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carpenter Elementary School
Carpenter Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Monticello, Iowa, enrolling 208 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.7% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 208 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 342 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #145.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 210 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Monticello's elementary schools, it stands alongside Monticello Middle School (305 students): Carpenter Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.9:1 vs 15.3:1).
Monticello Comm School District also operates Monticello High School (320 students) and Monticello Middle School (305 students) alongside Carpenter 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 Carpenter Elementary School compares
Carpenter 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.7% | ▲ 1% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 208 | top 74% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
208
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 64% in Iowa - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,055
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 88.0%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 88.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.0, Carpenter Elementary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Monticello Comm School District, which includes Carpenter Elementary School.
$13,055
Per student
+2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 46.6%
Federal 11.5%
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 Carpenter Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Monticello Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shannon Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carpenter Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 166
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar elementary schools in Monticello
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~208 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carpenter Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Carpenter Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Monticello 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 Carpenter Elementary School
How many students attend Carpenter Elementary School?
Carpenter Elementary School has 208 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Monticello, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carpenter Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Carpenter Elementary School is 14.9:1, which is 1% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carpenter Elementary School?
36.7% of students at Carpenter Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carpenter Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Carpenter Elementary School is White at 88.0% of enrollment, in Monticello, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carpenter Elementary School?
Carpenter Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Carpenter Elementary School rank among public schools in Monticello?
By Resource Investment Index, Carpenter Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Monticello, 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 Monticello on the city page.
Is Carpenter Elementary School a good school?
Carpenter Elementary School earns 53/100 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 Monticello Comm School District?
Besides Carpenter Elementary School, Monticello Comm School District also operates Monticello High School (320 students), Monticello Middle School (305 students), and Shannon Elementary School (166 students). See the Monticello 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.