Elementary school (grades K-5) · Des Moines, IA

Findley Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Findley Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190897000531
0/100100/10041/100
👥 S:T ratio
48
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
28
📋 Attendance
20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Findley Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.

#16 of 34
elementary schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
41
Resource Index · Typical
13:1
students per teacher
80.6%
free-lunch eligible

Findley Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Findley Elementary School ranks #16 of 34 elementary schools in Des Moines, IA.

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-20 students YoY

Findley Elementary School shrank from 304 students in 2022-23 to 284 in 2023-24 (-6.6%).

Teacher FTE lost 25.1 → 24.7 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Shrinking CCD campus

-20 students YoY 190897000531 · Des Moines, IA Elementary · SMALL · TRAD

324 enr · 13:1 · 80.6% lunch · RII 41

Nearest enrollment peer: Lincoln High School (2,364 students)

Findley Elementary School shrank from 304 students in 2022-23 to 284 in 2023-24 (-6.6%). Teacher FTE lost 25.1 → 24.7 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Iowa schools → · Find another →

Findley Elementary School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Findley Elementary School reports 324 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Findley Elementary School compares

Findley Elementary School is a shrinking campus on CCD: ratios and free-lunch share vs Iowa and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Iowa Iowa avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 13:1 ▼ 12% 14.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 80.6% ▲ 121% 36.4% 51.7%
Enrollment 324 top 46% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
324
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
80.6%
free-lunch eligible - 121% 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
13:1
students per teacher - 12% below state mean
Top 35% in Iowa - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.1%
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
$15,286
per pupil, district-wide - above Iowa avg of $13,441
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 28.7%
White 28.4%
African American 19.1%
Asian 13.3%
Two or More 9.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 28.7% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 77.5/100

Simpson diversity index - at 77.5, Findley Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Des Moines Independent Comm School District reports $15,286 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Findley Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Lincoln High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Roosevelt High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
East High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
North High School Larger Similar economic need Higher S:T ratio
Hoover High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Findley Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Des Moines Independent Comm School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Des Moines

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Nationwide elementary schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Frequently asked questions about Findley Elementary School

How many students attend Findley Elementary School?

Findley Elementary School has 324 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Des Moines, IA. CCD year-over-year: 304 (2022-23) → 284 (2023-24), down 20.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Findley Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Findley Elementary School is 13:1, which is 12% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 17% 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 Findley Elementary School?

80.6% of students at Findley Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Findley Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Findley Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 28.7% of enrollment, in Des Moines, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.5/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Findley Elementary School?

Findley Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Findley Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Des Moines?

By Resource Investment Index, Findley Elementary School ranks #16 of 34 elementary schools in Des Moines, 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 Des Moines on the city page.

What other schools are in Des Moines Independent Comm School District?

Besides Findley Elementary School, Des Moines Independent Comm School District also operates Lincoln High School (2,364 students), Roosevelt High School (2,051 students), and East High School (1,952 students). See the Des Moines Independent Comm School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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