Enrollment
227
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Glidden, IA
Glidden-Ralston Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Glidden-Ralston Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191275000771
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Glidden-Ralston Elementary School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.1:1
- students per teacher
- 27.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 227
- students enrolled
Glidden-Ralston Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Glidden-Ralston Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191275000771 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Glidden-Ralston Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Glidden-Ralston Elementary School
Glidden-Ralston Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Glidden, Iowa, enrolling 227 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 227 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 373 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is predominantly White (96% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 8/100).
12.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Glidden's public schools, it stands alongside Glidden-Ralston Jr-Sr High School (163 students): Glidden-Ralston Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.1:1 vs 12.5:1).
Its district, Glidden-Ralston Comm School District, also runs Glidden-Ralston Jr-Sr High School (163 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 Glidden-Ralston Elementary School compares
Glidden-Ralston 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 | 15.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.0% | ▼ 26% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 227 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.1:1
Leaner classes than 46% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
227
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
15.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 67% in Iowa - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
12.8%
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
$12,161
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
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 96.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 96.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 7.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 7.7, Glidden-Ralston Elementary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Glidden-Ralston Comm School District, which includes Glidden-Ralston Elementary School.
$12,161
Per student
-5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.9%
State 39.2%
Federal 9.9%
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 Glidden-Ralston Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glidden-Ralston Jr-Sr High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Glidden-Ralston Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 163
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
Similar other schools in Glidden
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 (~227 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Glidden-Ralston Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Glidden-Ralston Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Glidden-Ralston 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 Glidden-Ralston Elementary School
How many students attend Glidden-Ralston Elementary School?
Glidden-Ralston Elementary School has 227 students enrolled. It is a public school in Glidden, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Glidden-Ralston Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Glidden-Ralston Elementary School is 15.1:1, which is 2% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Glidden-Ralston Elementary School?
27.0% of students at Glidden-Ralston Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Glidden-Ralston Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Glidden-Ralston Elementary School is White at 96.0% of enrollment, in Glidden, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Glidden-Ralston Elementary School?
Glidden-Ralston 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).
Is Glidden-Ralston Elementary School a good school?
Glidden-Ralston Elementary School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Glidden-Ralston Comm School District?
Besides Glidden-Ralston Elementary School, Glidden-Ralston Comm School District also operates Glidden-Ralston Jr-Sr High School (163 students). See the Glidden-Ralston 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.