Enrollment
201
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Afton, IA
East Union Elementary
Federal NCES profile for East Union Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191035000659
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Union Elementary earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools.
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 47.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 201
- students enrolled
East Union Elementary has class sizes smaller than 80% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: East Union Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191035000659 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Union Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Union Elementary
East Union Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Afton, Iowa, enrolling 201 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 47.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 201 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 202 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #12, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 201 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
13.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding East Union Comm School District spends $15,915 per pupil, 24% above the Iowa average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Afton's public schools, it stands alongside East Union Middle-High School (242 students): East Union Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 12.7:1).
Its district, East Union Comm School District, also runs East Union Middle-High School (242 students).
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 Union Elementary compares
East Union 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.0% | ▲ 29% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 201 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
201
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 20% in Iowa - lower ratio than 80% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.4%
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
$15,915
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 201 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
White 94.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
Two or More 2.5%
Largest group: White at 94.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.5, East Union Elementary is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Union Comm School District, which includes East Union Elementary.
$15,915
Per student
+24%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.2%
State 45.6%
Federal 13.3%
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 Union Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Union Middle-High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Union Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 242
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Afton
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 (~201 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Union Elementary's federal record.
- Compare East Union Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- East Union 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 Union Elementary
How many students attend East Union Elementary?
East Union Elementary has 201 students enrolled. It is a public school in Afton, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Union Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at East Union Elementary is 11.8:1, which is 20% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 25% 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 Union Elementary?
47.0% of students at East Union Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Union Elementary?
The largest demographic group at East Union Elementary is White at 94.0% of enrollment, in Afton, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Union Elementary?
East Union Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (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).
Is East Union Elementary a good school?
East Union Elementary earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 80% 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 East Union Comm School District?
Besides East Union Elementary, East Union Comm School District also operates East Union Middle-High School (242 students). See the East Union 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.