Enrollment
296
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Urbandale, IA
Karen Acres Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Karen Acres Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192868001656
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Karen Acres Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Urbandale · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 51.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Karen Acres Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Karen Acres Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Urbandale, IA.
School address
District: Urbandale Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192868001656 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Karen Acres Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Karen Acres Elementary School
Karen Acres Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Urbandale, Iowa, enrolling 296 students.
At 14.1:1, 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 51.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 296 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 222 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #77.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 329 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Urbandale's public schools, it stands alongside Olmsted Elementary School (622 students): Karen Acres Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.1:1 vs 13.5:1).
Urbandale Comm School District also operates Urbandale High School (1,301 students) and Urbandale Middle School (892 students) alongside Karen Acres 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 Karen Acres Elementary School compares
Karen Acres 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.7% | ▲ 42% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 296 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
296
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 52% in Iowa - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,327
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.1 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Urbandale Comm School District, which includes Karen Acres Elementary School.
$12,327
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.0%
State 37.5%
Federal 8.5%
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 Karen Acres Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urbandale High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Urbandale Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Olmsted Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valerius Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Karen Acres Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,301
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 892
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 277
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Urbandale
3 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 (~296 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Karen Acres Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Karen Acres Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Urbandale 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 Karen Acres Elementary School
How many students attend Karen Acres Elementary School?
Karen Acres Elementary School has 296 students enrolled. It is a public school in Urbandale, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Karen Acres Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Karen Acres Elementary School is 14.1:1, which is 5% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% 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 Karen Acres Elementary School?
51.7% of students at Karen Acres Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Karen Acres Elementary School?
Karen Acres Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Karen Acres Elementary School rank among schools in Urbandale?
By Resource Investment Index, Karen Acres Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Urbandale, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Urbandale on the city page.
Is Karen Acres Elementary School a good school?
Karen Acres Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Urbandale Comm School District?
Besides Karen Acres Elementary School, Urbandale Comm School District also operates Urbandale High School (1,301 students), Urbandale Middle School (892 students), and Olmsted Elementary School (622 students). See the Urbandale 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.