Enrollment
261
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hartley, IA
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191366001962
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 75
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% of Iowa schools.
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 38.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 261
- students enrolled
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 79% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191366001962 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hartley, Iowa, enrolling 261 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 38.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 261 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 404 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
10.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District also operates Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School (203 students) and Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School (165 students) alongside Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 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 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School compares
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.5% | ▲ 6% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 261 | top 62% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
261
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 21% in Iowa - lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
10.0%
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
$13,570
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 81.2%
Hispanic or Latino 15.3%
African American 1.9%
Two or More 1.5%
Largest group: White at 81.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.7, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 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 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District, which includes Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School.
$13,570
Per student
+6%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.7%
State 33.6%
Federal 11.7%
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 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 203
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 165
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~261 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 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 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School
How many students attend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School?
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School has 261 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hartley, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School is 11.9:1, which is 20% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 24% 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 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School?
38.5% of students at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School is White at 81.2% of enrollment, in Hartley, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School?
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (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 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School a good school?
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 79% 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 Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District?
Besides Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District also operates Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School (203 students) and Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Middle School (165 students). See the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 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.