Enrollment
283
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Grundy Center, IA
Grundy Center Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Grundy Center Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 191329000799
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Grundy Center Elementary School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Grundy Center · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.3:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 26.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Grundy Center Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Grundy Center Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Grundy Center, IA.
School address
District: Grundy Center Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191329000799 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Grundy Center Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Grundy Center Elementary School
Grundy Center Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Grundy Center, Iowa, enrolling 283 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 283 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 425 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #17, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 283 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Grundy Center's elementary schools, it stands alongside Grundy Center Middle School (219 students): Grundy Center Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.3:1 vs 14.6:1).
Grundy Center Comm School District also operates Grundy Center High School (241 students) and Grundy Center Middle School (219 students) alongside Grundy Center 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 Grundy Center Elementary School compares
Grundy Center 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 17% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.4% | ▼ 27% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 283 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
283
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 26% in Iowa - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
7.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,085
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 283 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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 89.8%
Two or More 4.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%
African American 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Largest group: White at 89.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.0, Grundy Center 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 Grundy Center Comm School District, which includes Grundy Center Elementary School.
$12,085
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 49.5%
Federal 8.7%
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 Grundy Center Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grundy Center High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Grundy Center Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Grundy Center Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 241
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 219
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 63/100
Similar elementary schools in Grundy Center
1 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 (~283 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Grundy Center Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Grundy Center Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Grundy Center 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 Grundy Center Elementary School
How many students attend Grundy Center Elementary School?
Grundy Center Elementary School has 283 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Grundy Center, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Grundy Center Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Grundy Center Elementary School is 12.3:1, which is 17% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 22% 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 Grundy Center Elementary School?
26.4% of students at Grundy Center Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Grundy Center Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Grundy Center Elementary School is White at 89.8% of enrollment, in Grundy Center, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Grundy Center Elementary School?
Grundy Center Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (higher 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 Grundy Center Elementary School rank among public schools in Grundy Center?
By Resource Investment Index, Grundy Center Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Grundy Center, 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 Grundy Center on the city page.
Is Grundy Center Elementary School a good school?
Grundy Center Elementary School earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% 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 Grundy Center Comm School District?
Besides Grundy Center Elementary School, Grundy Center Comm School District also operates Grundy Center High School (241 students) and Grundy Center Middle School (219 students). See the Grundy Center 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.