Enrollment
334
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hiawatha, IA
Hiawatha Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Hiawatha Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190654000247
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hiawatha Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 43.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 334
- students enrolled
Hiawatha Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Cedar Rapids Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190654000247 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hiawatha Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hiawatha Elementary School
Hiawatha Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hiawatha, Iowa, enrolling 334 students.
At 14.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 43.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 334 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 392 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #214.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 334 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Hiawatha's public schools, it stands alongside Nixon Elementary School (289 students): Hiawatha Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.5:1 vs 13.1:1).
Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students) and Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students) alongside Hiawatha 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 Hiawatha Elementary School compares
Hiawatha 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 | 14.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.0% | ▲ 18% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 334 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
334
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 58% in Iowa - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.7%
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
$13,962
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 334 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 59.6%
Hispanic or Latino 15.3%
African American 10.5%
Two or More 9.0%
Asian 5.7%
Largest group: White at 59.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.9, Hiawatha 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 Cedar Rapids Comm School District, which includes Hiawatha Elementary School.
$13,962
Per student
+9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 48.5%
Federal 13.9%
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 Hiawatha Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F Kennedy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George Washington High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harding Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Taft Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hiawatha Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,501
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 710
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Hiawatha
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 (~334 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hiawatha Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Hiawatha Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Rapids 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 Hiawatha Elementary School
How many students attend Hiawatha Elementary School?
Hiawatha Elementary School has 334 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hiawatha, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hiawatha Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hiawatha Elementary School is 14.5:1, which is 2% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 8% 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 Hiawatha Elementary School?
43.0% of students at Hiawatha Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hiawatha Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Hiawatha Elementary School is White at 59.6% of enrollment, in Hiawatha, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hiawatha Elementary School?
Hiawatha Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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).
Is Hiawatha Elementary School a good school?
Hiawatha Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Cedar Rapids Comm School District?
Besides Hiawatha Elementary School, Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students), Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students), and George Washington High School (1,182 students). See the Cedar Rapids 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.