Enrollment
303
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lake Mills, IA
Lake Mills Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lake Mills Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191611000963
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lake Mills Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Lake Mills · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.4:1
- students per teacher
- 25.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Lake Mills Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Mills Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Lake Mills, IA.
School address
District: Lake Mills Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191611000963 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lake Mills Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lake Mills Elementary School
Lake Mills Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Lake Mills, Iowa, enrolling 303 students.
At 14.4:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 25.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 303 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 431 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #194.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Lake Mills Comm School District also operates Lake Mills Senior High School (193 students) and Lake Mills Middle School (146 students) alongside Lake Mills 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 Lake Mills Elementary School compares
Lake Mills 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 | 14.4:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.3% | ▼ 30% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 303 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.4:1
Leaner classes than 53% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
303
Bigger than 33% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
14.4:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 57% in Iowa - lower ratio than 43% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.4%
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
$12,137
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 82.8%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%
Two or More 2.6%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 82.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.6, Lake Mills 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 Lake Mills Comm School District, which includes Lake Mills Elementary School.
$12,137
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.6%
State 42.6%
Federal 8.8%
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 Lake Mills Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mills Senior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lake Mills Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lake Mills Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 193
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 146
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~303 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lake Mills Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lake Mills Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lake Mills 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 Lake Mills Elementary School
How many students attend Lake Mills Elementary School?
Lake Mills Elementary School has 303 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lake Mills, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lake Mills Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lake Mills Elementary School is 14.4:1, which is 3% 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 Lake Mills Elementary School?
25.3% of students at Lake Mills Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lake Mills Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lake Mills Elementary School is White at 82.8% of enrollment, in Lake Mills, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lake Mills Elementary School?
Lake Mills Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lake Mills Elementary School rank among public schools in Lake Mills?
By Resource Investment Index, Lake Mills Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Lake Mills, 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 Lake Mills on the city page.
Is Lake Mills Elementary School a good school?
Lake Mills Elementary School earns 51/100 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 Lake Mills Comm School District?
Besides Lake Mills Elementary School, Lake Mills Comm School District also operates Lake Mills Senior High School (193 students) and Lake Mills Middle School (146 students). See the Lake Mills 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.