Enrollment
187
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fairbank, IA
Fairbank Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Fairbank Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192976001693
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 97
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairbank Elementary School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Fairbank · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 25.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Fairbank Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 71% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fairbank Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Fairbank, IA.
School address
District: Wapsie Valley Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192976001693 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairbank Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fairbank Elementary School
Fairbank Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Fairbank, Iowa, enrolling 187 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 187 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 291 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #58.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 1.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Fairbank's public schools, it stands alongside Wapsie Valley High School (273 students): Fairbank Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.5:1 vs 12.4:1).
Wapsie Valley Comm School District also operates Wapsie Valley High School (273 students) and Readlyn Elementary School (107 students) alongside Fairbank 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 Fairbank Elementary School compares
Fairbank 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 16% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.6% | ▼ 30% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 187 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
187
Bigger than 18% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 29% in Iowa - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
1.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$12,349
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 + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 93.6%
Hispanic or Latino 3.7%
Two or More 2.1%
African American 0.5%
Largest group: White at 93.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.2, Fairbank Elementary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wapsie Valley Comm School District, which includes Fairbank Elementary School.
$12,349
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 49.9%
Federal 8.3%
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 Fairbank Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wapsie Valley High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Readlyn Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rural Elementary School #1 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rural Elementary School #2 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rural Elementary School #4 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fairbank Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 273
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 107
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 29
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Fairbank
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 (~187 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairbank Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Fairbank Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Wapsie 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 Fairbank Elementary School
How many students attend Fairbank Elementary School?
Fairbank Elementary School has 187 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fairbank, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairbank Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairbank Elementary School is 12.5:1, which is 16% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 20% 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 Fairbank Elementary School?
25.6% of students at Fairbank Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairbank Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Fairbank Elementary School is White at 93.6% of enrollment, in Fairbank, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairbank Elementary School?
Fairbank Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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).
How does Fairbank Elementary School rank among public schools in Fairbank?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairbank Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Fairbank, 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 Fairbank on the city page.
Is Fairbank Elementary School a good school?
Fairbank Elementary School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Wapsie Valley Comm School District?
Besides Fairbank Elementary School, Wapsie Valley Comm School District also operates Wapsie Valley High School (273 students), Readlyn Elementary School (107 students), and Rural Elementary School #1 (29 students). See the Wapsie 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.