Enrollment
237
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waverly, IA
Margaretta Carey Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Margaretta Carey Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 193054001745
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Margaretta Carey Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Waverly · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.8:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 21.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Margaretta Carey Elementary School has class sizes larger than 75% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Margaretta Carey Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Waverly, IA.
School address
District: Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193054001745 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Margaretta Carey Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Margaretta Carey Elementary School
Margaretta Carey Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Waverly, Iowa, enrolling 237 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 237 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 346 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #216.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 237 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Waverly's elementary schools, it stands alongside Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School (681 students): Margaretta Carey Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.8:1 vs 13.4:1).
Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District also operates Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School (737 students) and Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School (681 students) alongside Margaretta Carey 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 Margaretta Carey Elementary School compares
Margaretta Carey 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 | 15.8:1 | ▲ 7% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.9% | ▼ 40% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 237 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
237
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 75% in Iowa - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.5%
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
$12,251
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 237 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District, which includes Margaretta Carey Elementary School.
$12,251
Per student
-5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.8%
State 51.5%
Federal 8.7%
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 Margaretta Carey Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Cedar Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shell Rock Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Greenview Alternative School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Margaretta Carey Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 737
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 681
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 230
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 116
- Students per teacher
- 6.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 45
- Students per teacher
- 45:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Waverly
3 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 (~237 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Margaretta Carey Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Margaretta Carey Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Waverly-Shell Rock 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 Margaretta Carey Elementary School
How many students attend Margaretta Carey Elementary School?
Margaretta Carey Elementary School has 237 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waverly, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Margaretta Carey Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Margaretta Carey Elementary School is 15.8:1, which is 7% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Margaretta Carey Elementary School?
21.9% of students at Margaretta Carey Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Margaretta Carey Elementary School?
Margaretta Carey Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Margaretta Carey Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waverly?
By Resource Investment Index, Margaretta Carey Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Waverly, 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 Waverly on the city page.
Is Margaretta Carey Elementary School a good school?
Margaretta Carey Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District?
Besides Margaretta Carey Elementary School, Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District also operates Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School (737 students), Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School (681 students), and West Cedar Elementary School (230 students). See the Waverly-Shell Rock 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.