Enrollment
292
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Elkader, IA
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190684000293
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools.
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 36.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 292
- students enrolled
Central Elementary has class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Central Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190684000293 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Elkader, Iowa, enrolling 292 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.2:1 is larger than about 86% of Iowa schools and 16% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.9% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 292 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 433 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #103.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
14.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Elkader's public schools, it stands alongside Central Middle School/High School (182 students): Central Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.2:1 vs 14:1).
Its district, Central Comm School District, also runs Central Middle School/High School (182 students).
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 Central Elementary compares
Central 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 16% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▲ 1% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 292 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
292
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.9%
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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 86% in Iowa - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.4%
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
$12,153
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 6.5%
Two or More 5.5%
Largest group: White at 88.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.8, Central Elementary is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Comm School District, which includes Central Elementary.
$12,153
Per student
-5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.8%
State 44.5%
Federal 12.7%
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 Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Middle School/High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 182
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Elkader
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~292 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Central 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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 292 students enrolled. It is a public school in Elkader, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 17.2:1, which is 16% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
36.9% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is White at 88.0% of enrollment, in Elkader, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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).
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools. 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 Central Comm School District?
Besides Central Elementary, Central Comm School District also operates Central Middle School/High School (182 students). See the Central 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.