Enrollment
440
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Des Moines, IA
Delaware Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Delaware Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192682001568
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Delaware Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #3 of 14
- schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.3:1
- students per teacher
- 35.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Delaware Elementary has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Delaware Elementary ranks #3 of 14 schools in Des Moines, IA.
School address
District: Southeast Polk Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192682001568 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Delaware Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Delaware Elementary
Delaware Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling 440 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 35.9% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 440 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 391 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #213.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (14%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 440 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Des Moines's public schools, it stands alongside Cornell Elementary School (555 students): Delaware Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.3:1 vs 14.6:1).
Southeast Polk Comm School District also operates Southeast Polk High School (1,722 students) and Spring Creek - 6th Grade (1,112 students) alongside Delaware 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 Delaware Elementary compares
Delaware 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 | 13.3:1 | ▼ 10% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.9% | ▼ 1% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 440 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.3:1
Leaner classes than 64% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
440
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% 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
13.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 40% in Iowa - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,914
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 440 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 60.7%
African American 14.3%
Hispanic or Latino 13.0%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 5.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 60.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.7, Delaware Elementary is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southeast Polk Comm School District, which includes Delaware Elementary.
$11,914
Per student
-7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.9%
State 52.1%
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 Delaware Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Polk High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Spring Creek - 6th Grade | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast Polk Junior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clay Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willowbrook Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Delaware Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,722
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,112
- Students per teacher
- 32.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Des Moines
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cornell Elementary School
Standard public school
555 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Clive Learning Academy
Standard public school
551 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Capitol View Elementary School
Standard public school
533 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Moulton Elementary School
Standard public school
465 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Cowles Elementary School
Standard public school
392 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Virtual Campus
Standard public school
380 students 10:1 students per teacher
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 (~440 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Delaware Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Delaware Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Southeast Polk 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 Delaware Elementary
How many students attend Delaware Elementary?
Delaware Elementary has 440 students enrolled. It is a public school in Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Delaware Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Delaware Elementary is 13.3:1, which is 10% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 15% 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 Delaware Elementary?
35.9% of students at Delaware Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Delaware Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Delaware Elementary is White at 60.7% of enrollment, in Des Moines, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Delaware Elementary?
Delaware Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Delaware Elementary rank among schools in Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Delaware Elementary ranks #3 of 14 schools in Des Moines, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Des Moines on the city page.
Is Delaware Elementary a good school?
Delaware Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Southeast Polk Comm School District?
Besides Delaware Elementary, Southeast Polk Comm School District also operates Southeast Polk High School (1,722 students), Spring Creek - 6th Grade (1,112 students), and Southeast Polk Junior High (1,088 students). See the Southeast Polk 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.