Enrollment
840
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Johnston, IA
Henry a Wallace Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Henry a Wallace Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191545002018
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Henry a Wallace Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #1 of 8
- public schools in Johnston · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 11.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Henry a Wallace Elementary School has class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Henry a Wallace Elementary School ranks #1 of 8 public schools in Johnston, IA.
School address
District: Johnston Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191545002018 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Henry a Wallace Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Henry a Wallace Elementary School
Henry a Wallace Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Johnston, Iowa, enrolling 840 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.5% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the Iowa average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 94% of state schools at 840 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 94 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #42.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Asian (10%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 840 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.5% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Johnston's public schools, it stands alongside Johnston Middle School (1,161 students): Henry a Wallace Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 18.1:1).
Johnston Comm School District also operates Johnston Senior High School (1,820 students) and Johnston Middle School (1,161 students) alongside Henry a Wallace 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 Henry a Wallace Elementary School compares
Henry a Wallace 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.5% | ▼ 68% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 840 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
840
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% 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
16.2:1
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
9.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,756
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 840 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 65.1%
Asian 10.0%
African American 8.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Two or More 7.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 65.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.6, Henry a Wallace 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 Johnston Comm School District, which includes Henry a Wallace Elementary School.
$11,756
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 46.6%
State 45.8%
Federal 7.6%
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 Henry a Wallace Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Johnston Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Summit Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Timber Ridge Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Horizon Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Henry a Wallace Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,820
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,118
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Johnston
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~840 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Henry a Wallace Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Henry a Wallace Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Johnston 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 Henry a Wallace Elementary School
How many students attend Henry a Wallace Elementary School?
Henry a Wallace Elementary School has 840 students enrolled. It is a public school in Johnston, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Henry a Wallace Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Henry a Wallace Elementary School is 16.2:1, 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 Henry a Wallace Elementary School?
11.5% of students at Henry a Wallace Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Henry a Wallace Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Henry a Wallace Elementary School is White at 65.1% of enrollment, in Johnston, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Henry a Wallace Elementary School?
Henry a Wallace Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Henry a Wallace Elementary School rank among public schools in Johnston?
By Resource Investment Index, Henry a Wallace Elementary School ranks #1 of 8 public schools in Johnston, 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 Johnston on the city page.
Is Henry a Wallace Elementary School a good school?
Henry a Wallace Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Iowa schools. 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 Johnston Comm School District?
Besides Henry a Wallace Elementary School, Johnston Comm School District also operates Johnston Senior High School (1,820 students), Johnston Middle School (1,161 students), and Summit Middle School (1,118 students). See the Johnston 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.