Enrollment
186
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dexter, IA
Dexter Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Dexter Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192750000671
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dexter Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 39.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 186
- students enrolled
Dexter Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: West Central Valley Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192750000671 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dexter Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dexter Elementary School
Dexter Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Dexter, Iowa, enrolling 186 students.
At 14.3:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 39.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 186 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 277 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #133.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
West Central Valley Comm School District also operates West Central Valley High School (264 students) and Stuart Elementary School (211 students) alongside Dexter 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 Dexter Elementary School compares
Dexter 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.2% | ▲ 8% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 186 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
186
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 56% in Iowa - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
22.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,733
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.5 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 89.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.8%
Two or More 3.8%
African American 1.6%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 89.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.0, Dexter 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 West Central Valley Comm School District, which includes Dexter Elementary School.
$11,733
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.5%
State 43.3%
Federal 9.2%
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 Dexter Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Central Valley High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stuart Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Central Valley Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dexter Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 264
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 211
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 191
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~186 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dexter Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Dexter Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- West Central Valley 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 Dexter Elementary School
How many students attend Dexter Elementary School?
Dexter Elementary School has 186 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dexter, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dexter Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dexter Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 3% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 9% 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 Dexter Elementary School?
39.2% of students at Dexter Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dexter Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Dexter Elementary School is White at 89.2% of enrollment, in Dexter, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dexter Elementary School?
Dexter Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Dexter Elementary School a good school?
Dexter Elementary School earns 52/100 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 West Central Valley Comm School District?
Besides Dexter Elementary School, West Central Valley Comm School District also operates West Central Valley High School (264 students), Stuart Elementary School (211 students), and West Central Valley Middle School (191 students). See the West Central Valley 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.