Enrollment
431
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rock Rapids, IA
Central Lyon Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Central Lyon Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190696000306
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 81
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Lyon Elementary School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 21.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 431
- students enrolled
Central Lyon Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Central Lyon Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190696000306 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Lyon Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Lyon Elementary School
Central Lyon Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Rock Rapids, Iowa, enrolling 431 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 431 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 365 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #69.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 431 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Rock Rapids's public schools, it stands alongside Central Lyon Secondary School (358 students): Central Lyon Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.1:1 vs 14.3:1).
Its district, Central Lyon Comm School District, also runs Central Lyon Secondary School (358 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 Lyon Elementary School compares
Central Lyon 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.5% | ▼ 41% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 431 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
431
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 37% in Iowa - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,099
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 431 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 90.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.3%
Two or More 1.6%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 90.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.5, Central Lyon 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 Central Lyon Comm School District, which includes Central Lyon Elementary School.
$12,099
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.6%
State 47.5%
Federal 11.0%
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 Lyon Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Lyon Secondary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Lyon Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 358
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Rock Rapids
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 (~431 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Lyon Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Central Lyon Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Central Lyon 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 Lyon Elementary School
How many students attend Central Lyon Elementary School?
Central Lyon Elementary School has 431 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rock Rapids, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Lyon Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Lyon Elementary School is 13.1:1, which is 11% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 17% 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 Central Lyon Elementary School?
21.5% of students at Central Lyon Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Lyon Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Central Lyon Elementary School is White at 90.7% of enrollment, in Rock Rapids, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Lyon Elementary School?
Central Lyon 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).
Is Central Lyon Elementary School a good school?
Central Lyon 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 Central Lyon Comm School District?
Besides Central Lyon Elementary School, Central Lyon Comm School District also operates Central Lyon Secondary School (358 students). See the Central Lyon 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.