Enrollment
325
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Iowa City, IA
Longfellow Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Longfellow Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 191470000895
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 35
📋 Attendance 12
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Longfellow Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Iowa City · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.5:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 54.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Longfellow Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 91% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Longfellow Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Iowa City, IA.
School address
District: Iowa City Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191470000895 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Longfellow Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Longfellow Elementary School
Longfellow Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Iowa City, Iowa, enrolling 325 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.5:1, Longfellow Elementary School is leaner than roughly 91% of Iowa schools and 29% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 54.0% of students qualify for free meals, 48% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 325 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 224 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #110.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 325 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Iowa City's elementary schools, it stands alongside Weber Elementary (456 students): Longfellow Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.5:1 vs 10.9:1).
Iowa City Comm School District also operates Iowa City High School (1,666 students) and West Senior High School (1,514 students) alongside Longfellow 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 Longfellow Elementary School compares
Longfellow 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 | 10.5:1 | ▼ 29% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.0% | ▲ 48% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 325 | top 46% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.5:1
Leaner classes than 86% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
325
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
10.5:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 9% in Iowa - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
35.4%
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
$13,920
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 325 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 44.0%
African American 26.5%
Hispanic or Latino 20.3%
Two or More 8.0%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 44.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.8, Longfellow 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 Iowa City Comm School District, which includes Longfellow Elementary School.
$13,920
Per student
+8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.7%
State 41.5%
Federal 12.8%
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 Longfellow Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwest Junior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Longfellow Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,666
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,514
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,286
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,269
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,113
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar elementary schools in Iowa City
2 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 (~325 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Longfellow Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Longfellow Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Iowa 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 Longfellow Elementary School
How many students attend Longfellow Elementary School?
Longfellow Elementary School has 325 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Iowa City, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Longfellow Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Longfellow Elementary School is 10.5:1, which is 29% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 33% 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 Longfellow Elementary School?
54.0% of students at Longfellow Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Longfellow Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Longfellow Elementary School is White at 44.0% of enrollment, in Iowa City, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Longfellow Elementary School?
Longfellow Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Longfellow Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Iowa City?
By Resource Investment Index, Longfellow Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Iowa City, 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 Iowa City on the city page.
Is Longfellow Elementary School a good school?
Longfellow Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% 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 Iowa City Comm School District?
Besides Longfellow Elementary School, Iowa City Comm School District also operates Iowa City High School (1,666 students), West Senior High School (1,514 students), and Liberty High School (1,286 students). See the Iowa 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.