Enrollment
300
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Decorah, IA
John Cline Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for John Cline Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 58/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190873000500
👥 S:T ratio 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
John Cline Elementary School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Decorah · Resource Index
- 58
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.1:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 21.8%
- free-lunch eligible
John Cline Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 86% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, John Cline Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Decorah, IA.
School address
District: Decorah Community School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190873000500 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How John Cline Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at John Cline Elementary School
John Cline Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Decorah, Iowa, enrolling 300 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.1:1, John Cline Elementary School is leaner than roughly 86% of Iowa schools and 25% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 300 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 395 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 300 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
12.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Decorah Community School District also operates Decorah High School (555 students) and Decorah Middle School (432 students) alongside John Cline 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 John Cline Elementary School compares
John Cline 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 | 11.1:1 | ▼ 25% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.8% | ▼ 40% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 300 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.1:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
300
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
11.1:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 14% in Iowa - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,274
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 300 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
- 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 89.7%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 2.3%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 89.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.9, John Cline Elementary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decorah Community School District, which includes John Cline Elementary School.
$13,274
Per student
+3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.6%
State 43.0%
Federal 9.3%
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 John Cline Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decorah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Decorah Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carrie Lee Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to John Cline Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 215
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
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 (~300 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on John Cline Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare John Cline Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Decorah Community 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 John Cline Elementary School
How many students attend John Cline Elementary School?
John Cline Elementary School has 300 students enrolled. It is a public school in Decorah, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at John Cline Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at John Cline Elementary School is 11.1:1, which is 25% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 29% 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 John Cline Elementary School?
21.8% of students at John Cline Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of John Cline Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at John Cline Elementary School is White at 89.7% of enrollment, in Decorah, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for John Cline Elementary School?
John Cline Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 58/100 (higher 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 John Cline Elementary School rank among public schools in Decorah?
By Resource Investment Index, John Cline Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Decorah, 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 Decorah on the city page.
Is John Cline Elementary School a good school?
John Cline Elementary School earns 58/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Decorah Community School District?
Besides John Cline Elementary School, Decorah Community School District also operates Decorah High School (555 students), Decorah Middle School (432 students), and Carrie Lee Elementary (215 students). See the Decorah Community 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.