Enrollment
387
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mason City, IA
Harding Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Harding Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191878001102
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harding Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 5
- schools in Mason City · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.1:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 46.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Harding Elementary School has class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harding Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 schools in Mason City, IA.
School address
District: Mason City Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191878001102 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harding Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harding Elementary School
Harding Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Mason City, Iowa, enrolling 387 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 46.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 387 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 324 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #184.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 387 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Mason City's public schools, it stands alongside Hoover Elementary School (361 students): Harding Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.1:1 vs 13.4:1).
Mason City Comm School District also operates Mason City High School (891 students) and Lincoln Intermediate (485 students) alongside Harding 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 Harding Elementary School compares
Harding 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 | 16.1:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.8% | ▲ 29% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 387 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
387
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 78% in Iowa - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.2%
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
$15,108
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 387 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 71.3%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
African American 5.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.2%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 71.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 46.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 46.8, Harding 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 Mason City Comm School District, which includes Harding Elementary School.
$15,108
Per student
+18%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.1%
State 44.8%
Federal 11.2%
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 Harding Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mason City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Intermediate | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Adams Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hoover Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harding Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 891
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 463
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 361
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Mason City
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hoover Elementary School
Standard public school
361 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt Elementary School
Standard public school
348 students 12:1 students per teacher
Jefferson Elementary School
Standard public school
292 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Mason City Virtual Academy
Standard public school
88 students 22:1 students per teacher
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 (~387 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harding Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Harding Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Mason City 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 Harding Elementary School
How many students attend Harding Elementary School?
Harding Elementary School has 387 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mason City, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harding Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harding Elementary School is 16.1:1, which is 9% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Harding Elementary School?
46.8% of students at Harding Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harding Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Harding Elementary School is White at 71.3% of enrollment, in Mason City, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harding Elementary School?
Harding Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Harding Elementary School rank among schools in Mason City?
By Resource Investment Index, Harding Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 schools in Mason City, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mason City on the city page.
Is Harding Elementary School a good school?
Harding Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Mason City Comm School District?
Besides Harding Elementary School, Mason City Comm School District also operates Mason City High School (891 students), Lincoln Intermediate (485 students), and John Adams Middle School (463 students). See the Mason City 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.