Enrollment
261
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 191366001962
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School — Hartley, IA
Federal NCES profile for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 65/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 75
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District · Iowa
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
-18% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School reports 261 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 18% below the Iowa state mean of 15:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 38.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 6% above the Iowa average and 26% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 10.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District spends $18,386 per pupil district-wide, above the Iowa average of $17,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 54.7% from local sources (property taxes), 33.6% from the state, and 11.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 65/100 (B-), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Iowa state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▼ 18% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.5% | ▲ 6% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 261 | top 38% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
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
12.3:1
students per teacher
— 18% below state mean
Top 21% in Iowa — lower ratio than 79% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
10.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$18,386
per pupil, district-wide
— above Iowa avg of $17,211
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
Enrollment 261 Top 38% in Iowa — larger than 62% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 12.3:1 -18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 38.5% +6% vs state
NCES ID 191366001962
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.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 10.0%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Comm School District, which includes Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Elementary School.
$18,386
Per student
+7%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
-6%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 203
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Enrollment
- 165
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
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 other 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 12.3:1, which is 18% lower than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body 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 65/100 (B-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.