Enrollment
280
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Charles City, IA
Lincoln Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Lincoln Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190708000323
👥 S:T ratio 7
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lincoln Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Charles City · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 23.3:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 54.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Lincoln Elementary School has class sizes larger than 96% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Charles City, IA.
School address
District: Charles City Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190708000323 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+57% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+51% 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 higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Charles City, Iowa, enrolling 280 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.3:1 is larger than about 96% of Iowa schools and 57% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 54.9% of students qualify for free meals, 51% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 280 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 190 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #125.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 280 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Charles City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Charles City Ms (386 students): Lincoln Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (23.3:1 vs 13.3:1).
Charles City Comm School District also operates Charles City High School (472 students) and Charles City Ms (386 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 | 23.3:1 | ▲ 57% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.9% | ▲ 51% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 280 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.3:1
Leaner classes than 8% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
280
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
23.3:1
students per teacher
- 57% above state mean
Top 96% in Iowa - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
22.1%
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
$13,913
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 280 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 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 72.9%
Hispanic or Latino 9.6%
African American 7.5%
Two or More 7.5%
Asian 2.5%
Largest group: White at 72.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.7, Lincoln 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 Charles City Comm School District, which includes Lincoln Elementary School.
$13,913
Per student
+8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.7%
State 48.6%
Federal 18.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charles City Ms | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary School | 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
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 386
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 206
- Students per teacher
- 6.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Charles City
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 (~280 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lincoln Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Lincoln Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Charles City 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 280 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Charles City, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Elementary School is 23.3:1, which is 57% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 48% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lincoln Elementary School?
54.9% 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 72.9% of enrollment, in Charles City, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lincoln Elementary School?
Lincoln Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Lincoln Elementary School rank among public schools in Charles City?
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Charles City, 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 Charles City on the city page.
Is Lincoln Elementary School a good school?
Lincoln Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Charles City Comm School District?
Besides Lincoln Elementary School, Charles City Comm School District also operates Charles City High School (472 students), Charles City Ms (386 students), and Washington Elementary School (206 students). See the Charles City 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.