Enrollment
215
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Decorah, IA
Carrie Lee Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Carrie Lee Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190873001501
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carrie Lee Elementary earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Decorah · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 25.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Carrie Lee Elementary has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carrie Lee Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Decorah, IA.
School address
District: Decorah Community School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190873001501 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carrie Lee Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carrie Lee Elementary
Carrie Lee Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Decorah, Iowa, enrolling 215 students.
At 14.3:1, 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 25.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 215 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 341 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #59.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
14.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Decorah's elementary schools, it stands alongside Decorah Middle School (432 students): Carrie Lee Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.3:1 vs 12.3:1).
Decorah Community School District also operates Decorah High School (555 students) and Decorah Middle School (432 students) alongside Carrie Lee 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 Carrie Lee Elementary compares
Carrie Lee 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.3% | ▼ 30% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 215 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
215
Bigger than 21% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 56% in Iowa - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.0%
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
$13,274
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 87.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%
Two or More 2.3%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 87.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 23.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 23.2, Carrie Lee Elementary is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decorah Community School District, which includes Carrie Lee Elementary.
$13,274
Per student
+3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.6%
State 43.0%
Federal 9.3%
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 Carrie Lee Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decorah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Decorah Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Cline Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carrie Lee Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar elementary schools in Decorah
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 (~215 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carrie Lee Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Carrie Lee Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Decorah Community 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 Carrie Lee Elementary
How many students attend Carrie Lee Elementary?
Carrie Lee Elementary has 215 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Decorah, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carrie Lee Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Carrie Lee Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 3% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 9% 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 Carrie Lee Elementary?
25.3% of students at Carrie Lee Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carrie Lee Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Carrie Lee Elementary is White at 87.0% of enrollment, in Decorah, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carrie Lee Elementary?
Carrie Lee Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Carrie Lee Elementary rank among public schools in Decorah?
By Resource Investment Index, Carrie Lee Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Decorah, 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 Decorah on the city page.
Is Carrie Lee Elementary a good school?
Carrie Lee Elementary earns 59/100 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 Decorah Community School District?
Besides Carrie Lee Elementary, Decorah Community School District also operates Decorah High School (555 students), Decorah Middle School (432 students), and John Cline Elementary School (300 students). See the Decorah Community 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.