Enrollment
666
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waukee, IA
Grant Ragan Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Grant Ragan Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 193051002234
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Grant Ragan Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Waukee · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 20.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Grant Ragan Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Grant Ragan Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Waukee, IA.
School address
District: Waukee Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193051002234 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Grant Ragan Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Grant Ragan Elementary School
Grant Ragan Elementary School is a large elementary school in Waukee, Iowa, enrolling 666 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 20.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 91% of state schools at 666 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 202 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #58.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 333 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Waukee's elementary schools, it stands alongside Waukee Elementary School (706 students): Grant Ragan Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.8:1 vs 16:1).
Waukee Comm School District also operates Northwest High School (1,574 students) and Waukee High School (1,375 students) alongside Grant Ragan 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 Grant Ragan Elementary School compares
Grant Ragan 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 | 14.8:1 | ▼ 0% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.3% | ▼ 44% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 666 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
666
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 63% in Iowa - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.6%
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
$11,578
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 333 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 62.9%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
African American 9.6%
Asian 7.5%
Two or More 6.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 62.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.8, Grant Ragan Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waukee Comm School District, which includes Grant Ragan Elementary School.
$11,578
Per student
-10%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.3%
State 44.6%
Federal 6.1%
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 Grant Ragan Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Waukee High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Timberline School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waukee Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Grant Ragan Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,574
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,092
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar elementary schools in Waukee
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 (~666 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Grant Ragan Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Grant Ragan Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Waukee 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 Grant Ragan Elementary School
How many students attend Grant Ragan Elementary School?
Grant Ragan Elementary School has 666 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waukee, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Grant Ragan Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Grant Ragan Elementary School is 14.8:1, which is 0% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Grant Ragan Elementary School?
20.3% of students at Grant Ragan Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Grant Ragan Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Grant Ragan Elementary School is White at 62.9% of enrollment, in Waukee, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Grant Ragan Elementary School?
Grant Ragan Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Grant Ragan Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waukee?
By Resource Investment Index, Grant Ragan Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Waukee, 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 Waukee on the city page.
Is Grant Ragan Elementary School a good school?
Grant Ragan Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools. 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 Waukee Comm School District?
Besides Grant Ragan Elementary School, Waukee Comm School District also operates Northwest High School (1,574 students), Waukee High School (1,375 students), and South Middle School (1,092 students). See the Waukee 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.