Enrollment
691
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Denison, IA
Denison Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Denison Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190891000511
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Denison Elementary School earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Denison · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 50.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Denison Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Denison Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Denison, IA.
School address
District: Denison Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190891000511 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Denison Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Denison Elementary School
Denison Elementary School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Denison, Iowa, enrolling 691 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 91% of state schools at 691 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 120 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #89, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (69%) and White (25%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 768 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Denison Comm School District also operates Denison High School (777 students) and Denison Middle School (502 students) alongside Denison 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 Denison Elementary School compares
Denison 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 | ▼ 12% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.0% | ▲ 37% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 691 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
691
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 35% in Iowa - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.5%
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
$12,439
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
2
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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
Hispanic or Latino 68.5%
White 24.9%
Asian 3.0%
African American 2.0%
Two or More 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 68.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.7, Denison Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Denison Comm School District, which includes Denison Elementary School.
$12,439
Per student
-3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.6%
State 57.4%
Federal 21.1%
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 Denison Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denison High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Denison Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Broadway Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Denison Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 777
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 288
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~691 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Denison Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Denison Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Denison 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 Denison Elementary School
How many students attend Denison Elementary School?
Denison Elementary School has 691 students enrolled. It is a public school in Denison, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Denison Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Denison Elementary School is 13:1, which is 12% 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 Denison Elementary School?
50.0% of students at Denison Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Denison Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Denison Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 68.5% of enrollment, in Denison, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Denison Elementary School?
Denison 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 Denison Elementary School rank among public schools in Denison?
By Resource Investment Index, Denison Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Denison, 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 Denison on the city page.
Is Denison Elementary School a good school?
Denison 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 Denison Comm School District?
Besides Denison Elementary School, Denison Comm School District also operates Denison High School (777 students), Denison Middle School (502 students), and Broadway Elementary School (288 students). See the Denison 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.