Enrollment
442
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Spencer, IA
Lincoln Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lincoln Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192691002182
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lincoln Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Spencer · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 43.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Lincoln Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Spencer, IA.
School address
District: Spencer Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192691002182 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lincoln Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lincoln Elementary School
Lincoln Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Spencer, Iowa, enrolling 442 students.
At 13.8:1, 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 43.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 442 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 335 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #319, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 442 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Spencer's elementary schools, it stands alongside Fairview Park Elementary (249 students): Lincoln Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.8:1 vs 10.4:1).
Spencer Comm School District also operates Spencer High School (688 students) and Spencer Middle School (514 students) alongside Lincoln 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 Lincoln Elementary School compares
Lincoln 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.5% | ▲ 20% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 442 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
442
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 47% in Iowa - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.7%
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
$11,742
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 442 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 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 79.0%
Hispanic or Latino 10.4%
Two or More 5.0%
African American 3.2%
Asian 2.5%
Largest group: White at 79.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.1, Lincoln Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Spencer Comm School District, which includes Lincoln Elementary School.
$11,742
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 40.2%
State 49.9%
Federal 10.0%
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 Lincoln Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spencer Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairview Park Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Johnson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lincoln Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 514
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 249
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Spencer
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 (~442 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lincoln Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lincoln Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Spencer 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 Lincoln Elementary School
How many students attend Lincoln Elementary School?
Lincoln Elementary School has 442 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Spencer, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elementary School is 13.8:1, which is 7% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 12% 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 Lincoln Elementary School?
43.5% of students at Lincoln Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lincoln Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Lincoln Elementary School is White at 79.0% of enrollment, in Spencer, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lincoln Elementary School?
Lincoln Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Lincoln Elementary School rank among public schools in Spencer?
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Spencer, 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 Spencer on the city page.
Is Lincoln Elementary School a good school?
Lincoln Elementary School earns 31/100 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 Spencer Comm School District?
Besides Lincoln Elementary School, Spencer Comm School District also operates Spencer High School (688 students), Spencer Middle School (514 students), and Fairview Park Elementary (249 students). See the Spencer 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.