Enrollment
554
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Norwalk, IA
Lakewood Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lakewood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192124001273
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lakewood Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Iowa schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Norwalk · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 16.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Lakewood Elementary School has class sizes larger than 83% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lakewood Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Norwalk, IA.
School address
District: Norwalk Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192124001273 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lakewood Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lakewood Elementary School
Lakewood Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Norwalk, Iowa, enrolling 554 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.5% free-meal eligibility runs 55% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 554 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 226 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #176, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (87% of enrollment) (diversity index 24/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 571 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Norwalk's elementary schools, it stands alongside Orchard Hills Elementary (558 students): Lakewood Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 15.5:1).
Norwalk Comm School District also operates Norwalk Senior High School (1,035 students) and Norwalk Middle School (824 students) alongside Lakewood 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 Lakewood Elementary School compares
Lakewood 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 | 16.8:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.5% | ▼ 55% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 554 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
554
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 83% in Iowa - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.4%
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
$10,513
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 86.8%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 2.2%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 86.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.1, Lakewood 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 Norwalk Comm School District, which includes Lakewood Elementary School.
$10,513
Per student
-18%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.1%
State 57.0%
Federal 8.0%
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 Lakewood Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwalk Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Norwalk Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Orchard Hills Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oviatt Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lakewood Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,035
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 824
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 558
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Norwalk
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~554 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lakewood Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lakewood Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Norwalk 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 Lakewood Elementary School
How many students attend Lakewood Elementary School?
Lakewood Elementary School has 554 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Norwalk, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lakewood Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lakewood Elementary School is 16.8:1, which is 14% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lakewood Elementary School?
16.5% of students at Lakewood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lakewood Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lakewood Elementary School is White at 86.8% of enrollment, in Norwalk, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lakewood Elementary School?
Lakewood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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).
How does Lakewood Elementary School rank among public schools in Norwalk?
By Resource Investment Index, Lakewood Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Norwalk, 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 Norwalk on the city page.
Is Lakewood Elementary School a good school?
Lakewood Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Norwalk Comm School District?
Besides Lakewood Elementary School, Norwalk Comm School District also operates Norwalk Senior High School (1,035 students), Norwalk Middle School (824 students), and Orchard Hills Elementary (558 students). See the Norwalk 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.