Enrollment
195
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 190897002218
Jessie Franklin Taylor — Des Moines, IA
Federal NCES profile for Jessie Franklin Taylor, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 24/100.
👥 Class size 18
🌟 Gifted program 30
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: Des Moines Independent 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)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
+37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+132% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jessie Franklin Taylor 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
Jessie Franklin Taylor reports 195 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 10.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 20.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 37% above the Iowa state mean of 15:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 29% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 84.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 132% above the Iowa average and 63% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Des Moines Independent Comm School District spends $16,255 per pupil district-wide, below the Iowa average of $17,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.4% from local sources (property taxes), 56.2% from the state, and 14.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F), calculated from 2 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 Jessie Franklin Taylor 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 | 20.5:1 | ▲ 37% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.4% | ▲ 132% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 195 | top 23% | — | — |
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
84.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 132% 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
20.5:1
students per teacher
— 37% above state mean
Top 95% in Iowa — lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$16,255
per pupil, district-wide
— below 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
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 195 Top 23% in Iowa — larger than 77% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 10.0
Students per teacher 20.5:1 +37% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 84.4% +132% vs state
NCES ID 190897002218
Student demographics
African American 39.0%
Hispanic or Latino 28.2%
White 19.5%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 39.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Des Moines Independent Comm School District, which includes Jessie Franklin Taylor.
$16,255
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 56.2%
Federal 14.4%
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
- 2,364
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,428
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
Similar other schools in Des Moines
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cornell Elementary School
Standard public school
555 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Clive Learning Academy
Standard public school
551 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Capitol View Elementary School
Standard public school
533 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Moulton Elementary School
Standard public school
465 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Delaware Elementary
Standard public school
440 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Cowles Elementary School
Standard public school
392 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
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 Jessie Franklin Taylor
How many students attend Jessie Franklin Taylor?
Jessie Franklin Taylor has 195 students enrolled. It is a other school in Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jessie Franklin Taylor?
The student-teacher ratio at Jessie Franklin Taylor is 20.5:1, which is 37% higher than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jessie Franklin Taylor?
84.4% of students at Jessie Franklin Taylor are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jessie Franklin Taylor?
The largest demographic group at Jessie Franklin Taylor is African American at 39.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Des Moines, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jessie Franklin Taylor?
Jessie Franklin Taylor has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.