Enrollment
336
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Newton, IA
Emerson Hough Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Emerson Hough Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192061002238
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emerson Hough Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Newton · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 62.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Emerson Hough Elementary School has class sizes larger than 83% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson Hough Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Newton, IA.
School address
District: Newton Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192061002238 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerson Hough Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emerson Hough Elementary School
Emerson Hough Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Newton, Iowa, enrolling 336 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 62.5% of students qualify for free meals, 72% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 336 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 151 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #120, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 336 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Newton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Berg Middle School (790 students): Emerson Hough Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 13.2:1).
Newton Comm School District also operates Newton Senior High School (806 students) and Berg Middle School (790 students) alongside Emerson Hough 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 Emerson Hough Elementary School compares
Emerson Hough 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.5% | ▲ 72% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 336 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
336
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 72% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 83% in Iowa - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.5%
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
$12,608
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 336 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 24 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 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 74.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Two or More 7.1%
African American 4.2%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: White at 74.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.3, Emerson Hough Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Newton Comm School District, which includes Emerson Hough Elementary School.
$12,608
Per student
-2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.4%
State 54.9%
Federal 12.7%
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 Emerson Hough Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Berg Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodrow Wilson Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Aurora Heights Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emerson Hough Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 806
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 380
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 306
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar elementary schools in Newton
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~336 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emerson Hough Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Emerson Hough Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Newton 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 Emerson Hough Elementary School
How many students attend Emerson Hough Elementary School?
Emerson Hough Elementary School has 336 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Newton, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson Hough Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson Hough Elementary School is 16.8:1, which is 14% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Emerson Hough Elementary School?
62.5% of students at Emerson Hough Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emerson Hough Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Emerson Hough Elementary School is White at 74.7% of enrollment, in Newton, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson Hough Elementary School?
Emerson Hough Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Emerson Hough Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Newton?
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson Hough Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Newton, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Newton on the city page.
Is Emerson Hough Elementary School a good school?
Emerson Hough Elementary School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Newton Comm School District?
Besides Emerson Hough Elementary School, Newton Comm School District also operates Newton Senior High School (806 students), Berg Middle School (790 students), and Thomas Jefferson Elementary School (380 students). See the Newton 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.