Enrollment
231
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fort Dodge, IA
Cooper Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cooper Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 191182000721
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cooper Elementary School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Fort Dodge · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 37.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cooper Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 87% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Fort Dodge, IA.
School address
District: Fort Dodge Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191182000721 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cooper Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cooper Elementary School
Cooper Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Fort Dodge, Iowa, enrolling 231 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11:1, Cooper Elementary School is leaner than roughly 87% of Iowa schools and 26% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 37.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 231 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 391 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #31, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 231 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
14.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 48 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 231 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Fort Dodge's elementary schools, it stands alongside Duncombe Elementary School (438 students): Cooper Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11:1 vs 13.7:1).
Fort Dodge Comm School District also operates Fort Dodge High School (1,020 students) and Fort Dodge Middle School (765 students) alongside Cooper 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 Cooper Elementary School compares
Cooper 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 | 11:1 | ▼ 26% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.3% | ▲ 2% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 231 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11:1
Leaner classes than 83% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
231
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
11:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 13% in Iowa - lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
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
$12,309
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 231 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
35
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.8 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 77.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 8.7%
African American 3.9%
Asian 0.9%
Largest group: White at 77.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.6, Cooper Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Dodge Comm School District, which includes Cooper Elementary School.
$12,309
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.4%
State 48.2%
Federal 20.4%
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 Cooper Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Dodge High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Dodge Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Duncombe Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood Center | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Butler Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cooper Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,020
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 765
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 376
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Fort Dodge
3 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 (~231 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cooper Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cooper Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Dodge 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 Cooper Elementary School
How many students attend Cooper Elementary School?
Cooper Elementary School has 231 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fort Dodge, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cooper Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cooper Elementary School is 11:1, which is 26% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 30% 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 Cooper Elementary School?
37.3% of students at Cooper Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cooper Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cooper Elementary School is White at 77.9% of enrollment, in Fort Dodge, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cooper Elementary School?
Cooper Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (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 Cooper Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Fort Dodge?
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Fort Dodge, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Fort Dodge on the city page.
Is Cooper Elementary School a good school?
Cooper Elementary School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 87% 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 Fort Dodge Comm School District?
Besides Cooper Elementary School, Fort Dodge Comm School District also operates Fort Dodge High School (1,020 students), Fort Dodge Middle School (765 students), and Duncombe Elementary School (438 students). See the Fort Dodge 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.