Enrollment
468
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cherokee, IA
Cherokee Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cherokee Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190717000332
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherokee Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Cherokee · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 36.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Cherokee Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Cherokee, IA.
School address
District: Cherokee Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190717000332 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cherokee Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cherokee Elementary School
Cherokee Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Cherokee, Iowa, enrolling 468 students.
At 14.2:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.8% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 468 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 360 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #328, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 493 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Cherokee Comm School District also operates Washington High School (366 students) and Cherokee Middle School (329 students) alongside Cherokee 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 Cherokee Elementary School compares
Cherokee 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.8% | ▲ 1% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 468 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
468
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.8%
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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 54% in Iowa - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.3%
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
$10,834
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 81.8%
Hispanic or Latino 13.0%
Two or More 2.4%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
African American 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 81.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.3, Cherokee Elementary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cherokee Comm School District, which includes Cherokee Elementary School.
$10,834
Per student
-16%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.5%
State 50.5%
Federal 10.0%
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 Cherokee Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherokee Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cherokee Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 329
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~468 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherokee Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cherokee Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cherokee 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 Cherokee Elementary School
How many students attend Cherokee Elementary School?
Cherokee Elementary School has 468 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cherokee, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 4% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% 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 Cherokee Elementary School?
36.8% of students at Cherokee Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cherokee Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cherokee Elementary School is White at 81.8% of enrollment, in Cherokee, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherokee Elementary School?
Cherokee Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (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 Cherokee Elementary School rank among public schools in Cherokee?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Cherokee, 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 Cherokee on the city page.
Is Cherokee Elementary School a good school?
Cherokee Elementary School earns 35/100 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 Cherokee Comm School District?
Besides Cherokee Elementary School, Cherokee Comm School District also operates Washington High School (366 students) and Cherokee Middle School (329 students). See the Cherokee 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.