Enrollment
604
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ankeny, IA
Heritage Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Heritage Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190369002269
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Heritage Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools.
- #9 of 10
- elementary schools in Ankeny · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.8:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 26.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Heritage Elementary has class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage Elementary ranks #9 of 10 elementary schools in Ankeny, IA.
School address
District: Ankeny Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190369002269 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Heritage Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Heritage Elementary
Heritage Elementary is a large elementary school in Ankeny, Iowa, enrolling 604 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.8:1 is larger than about 88% of Iowa schools and 20% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 604 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 242 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #205, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 604 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Ankeny's elementary schools, it stands alongside Rock Creek Elementary (639 students): Heritage Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.8:1 vs 14.9:1).
Ankeny Comm School District also operates Ankeny Centennial High School (1,470 students) and Ankeny High School (1,375 students) alongside Heritage Elementary.
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 Heritage Elementary compares
Heritage Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.8:1 | ▲ 20% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.2% | ▼ 28% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 604 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.8:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
604
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
17.8:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 88% in Iowa - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,716
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 604 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 68.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.7%
African American 6.0%
Two or More 5.6%
Asian 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 68.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.0, Heritage Elementary is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ankeny Comm School District, which includes Heritage Elementary.
$11,716
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.8%
State 50.4%
Federal 5.8%
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 Heritage Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankeny Centennial High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ankeny High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northview Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Ridge Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southview Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Heritage Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,021
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,004
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Ankeny
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Rock Creek Elementary
Standard public school
639 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Northeast Elementary
Standard public school
595 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Southeast Elementary School
Standard public school
585 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Westwood Elementary School
Standard public school
551 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Ashland Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
548 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Prairie Trail Elementary
Standard public school
526 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~604 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Heritage Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Heritage Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Ankeny 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 Heritage Elementary
How many students attend Heritage Elementary?
Heritage Elementary has 604 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ankeny, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Heritage Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Heritage Elementary is 17.8:1, which is 20% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Heritage Elementary?
26.2% of students at Heritage Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Heritage Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Heritage Elementary is White at 68.5% of enrollment, in Ankeny, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Heritage Elementary?
Heritage Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Heritage Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ankeny?
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage Elementary ranks #9 of 10 elementary schools in Ankeny, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Ankeny on the city page.
Is Heritage Elementary a good school?
Heritage Elementary earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Ankeny Comm School District?
Besides Heritage Elementary, Ankeny Comm School District also operates Ankeny Centennial High School (1,470 students), Ankeny High School (1,375 students), and Northview Middle School (1,021 students). See the Ankeny 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.