Enrollment
468
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sheldon, IA
East Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for East Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192598001473
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Sheldon · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 36.9%
- free-lunch eligible
East Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Sheldon, IA.
School address
District: Sheldon Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192598001473 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Elementary School
East Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Sheldon, Iowa, enrolling 468 students.
At 13.4:1, 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 36.9% 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 sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 361 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #126.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 478 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Sheldon's public schools, it stands alongside Little Orabs Preschool (43 students): East Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Sheldon Comm School District also operates Sheldon High School (356 students) and Sheldon Middle School (312 students) alongside East 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 East Elementary School compares
East 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 9% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▲ 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
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% 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
36.9%
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
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 42% in Iowa - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.5%
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
$11,261
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
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 65.6%
Hispanic or Latino 28.2%
Two or More 3.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.1%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 65.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.9, East 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 Sheldon Comm School District, which includes East Elementary School.
$11,261
Per student
-12%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.8%
State 49.7%
Federal 12.4%
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 East Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheldon High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sheldon Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Little Orabs Preschool | Smaller | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to East Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 312
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 43
- Students per teacher
- -
Similar other schools in Sheldon
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 East Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare East Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Sheldon 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 East Elementary School
How many students attend East Elementary School?
East Elementary School has 468 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sheldon, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at East Elementary School is 13.4:1, which is 9% 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 East Elementary School?
36.9% of students at East Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at East Elementary School is White at 65.6% of enrollment, in Sheldon, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Elementary School?
East Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 East Elementary School rank among public schools in Sheldon?
By Resource Investment Index, East Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Sheldon, 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 Sheldon on the city page.
Is East Elementary School a good school?
East Elementary School earns 48/100 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 Sheldon Comm School District?
Besides East Elementary School, Sheldon Comm School District also operates Sheldon High School (356 students), Sheldon Middle School (312 students), and Little Orabs Preschool (43 students). See the Sheldon 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.