Enrollment
633
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ottumwa, IA
Liberty Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Liberty Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192211002185
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Liberty Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #5 of 6
- elementary schools in Ottumwa · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.6:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 54.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Liberty Elementary School has class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Ottumwa, IA.
School address
District: Ottumwa Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192211002185 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.6:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Liberty Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Liberty Elementary School
Liberty Elementary School is a higher-need, large elementary school in Ottumwa, Iowa, enrolling 633 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.6:1 is larger than about 88% of Iowa schools and 19% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 54.7% of students qualify for free meals, 50% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 633 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 125 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #99, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 633 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Ottumwa's elementary schools, it stands alongside Wilson Elementary School (335 students): Liberty Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.6:1 vs 12.4:1).
Ottumwa Comm School District also operates Ottumwa High School (910 students) and Evans Middle School (684 students) alongside Liberty 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 Liberty Elementary School compares
Liberty 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 | 17.6:1 | ▲ 19% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.7% | ▲ 50% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 633 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.6:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
633
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 88% in Iowa - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.8%
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
$12,042
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
Per 633 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.9 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 47.7%
Hispanic or Latino 26.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 10.3%
African American 10.0%
Asian 3.6%
Two or More 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 47.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.2, Liberty Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ottumwa Comm School District, which includes Liberty Elementary School.
$12,042
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.3%
State 63.3%
Federal 17.4%
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.
How Liberty Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottumwa High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Evans Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pickwick Early Childhood Center | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilson Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Douma Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Liberty Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 910
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 684
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 335
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 327
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Ottumwa
5 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Wilson Elementary School
Standard public school
335 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Douma Elementary School
Standard public school
327 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Horace Mann Elementary School
Standard public school
250 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
James Elementary School
Standard public school
249 students 15.6:1 students per teacher
Eisenhower Elementary School
Standard public school
248 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~633 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Liberty Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Liberty Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ottumwa 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 Liberty Elementary School
How many students attend Liberty Elementary School?
Liberty Elementary School has 633 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ottumwa, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Liberty Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Liberty Elementary School is 17.6:1, which is 19% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 12% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Liberty Elementary School?
54.7% of students at Liberty Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Liberty Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Liberty Elementary School is White at 47.7% of enrollment, in Ottumwa, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Liberty Elementary School?
Liberty Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Liberty Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Ottumwa?
By Resource Investment Index, Liberty Elementary School ranks #5 of 6 elementary schools in Ottumwa, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Ottumwa on the city page.
Is Liberty Elementary School a good school?
Liberty Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Ottumwa Comm School District?
Besides Liberty Elementary School, Ottumwa Comm School District also operates Ottumwa High School (910 students), Evans Middle School (684 students), and Pickwick Early Childhood Center (560 students). See the Ottumwa 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.