Enrollment
578
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sioux City, IA
Loess Hills Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Loess Hills Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192640002211
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Loess Hills Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 43.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 578
- students enrolled
Loess Hills Elementary has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Sioux City Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192640002211 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
41.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Loess Hills Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Loess Hills Elementary
Loess Hills Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Sioux City, Iowa, enrolling 578 students.
At 14.1:1, 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 43.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 578 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 230 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #182, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 578 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Sioux City's public schools, it stands alongside Spalding Park Elementary (683 students): Loess Hills Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.1:1 vs 12.9:1).
Sioux City Comm School District also operates North High School (1,529 students) and East High School (1,495 students) alongside Loess Hills Elementary.
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 Loess Hills Elementary compares
Loess Hills Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.6% | ▲ 20% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 578 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
578
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.6%
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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 52% in Iowa - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
27.5%
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
$11,941
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 578 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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
Hispanic or Latino 47.9%
White 25.3%
Two or More 9.9%
African American 8.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.9%
Asian 1.9%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.7, Loess Hills Elementary is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sioux City Comm School District, which includes Loess Hills Elementary.
$11,941
Per student
-7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.0%
State 66.5%
Federal 14.5%
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 Loess Hills Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Loess Hills Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,529
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 1,495
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,308
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,136
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar other schools in Sioux City
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Spalding Park Elementary
Standard public school
683 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Liberty Elementary School
Standard public school
659 students 14:1 students per teacher
Morningside Elementary
Standard public school
645 students 14:1 students per teacher
Bryant Elementary School
Standard public school
608 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Leeds Elementary School
Standard public school
593 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Unity Elementary School
Standard public school
483 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~578 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Loess Hills Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Loess Hills Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Sioux 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 Loess Hills Elementary
How many students attend Loess Hills Elementary?
Loess Hills Elementary has 578 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sioux City, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Loess Hills Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Loess Hills Elementary is 14.1:1, which is 5% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% 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 Loess Hills Elementary?
43.6% of students at Loess Hills Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Loess Hills Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Loess Hills Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 47.9% of enrollment, in Sioux City, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Loess Hills Elementary?
Loess Hills Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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).
Is Loess Hills Elementary a good school?
Loess Hills Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Sioux City Comm School District?
Besides Loess Hills Elementary, Sioux City Comm School District also operates North High School (1,529 students), East High School (1,495 students), and West High School (1,308 students). See the Sioux 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.