Enrollment
361
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ames, IA
Meeker Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Meeker Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190354000056
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Meeker Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Ames · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 30.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Meeker Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Meeker Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Ames, IA.
School address
District: Ames Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190354000056 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Meeker Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Meeker Elementary School
Meeker Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Ames, Iowa, enrolling 361 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 30.8% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 361 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 453 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #299.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Two or More (12%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 181 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Ames's elementary schools, it stands alongside Fellows Elementary School (489 students): Meeker Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.4:1 vs 11.9:1).
Ames Comm School District also operates Ames High School (1,440 students) and Ames Middle School (1,033 students) alongside Meeker 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 Meeker Elementary School compares
Meeker 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 16% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.8% | ▼ 15% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 361 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
361
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 27% in Iowa - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.5%
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
$12,626
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 181 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 70.5%
Two or More 12.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
African American 5.3%
Asian 2.5%
Largest group: White at 70.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.5, Meeker Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ames Comm School District, which includes Meeker Elementary School.
$12,626
Per student
-2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 57.7%
State 34.6%
Federal 7.8%
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 Meeker Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ames High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ames Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Fellows Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Edwards Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sawyer Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Meeker Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,440
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,033
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 489
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Ames
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Fellows Elementary School
Standard public school
489 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
Edwards Elementary School
Standard public school
436 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Sawyer Elementary School
Standard public school
371 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Mitchell Elementary School
Standard public school
314 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~361 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Meeker Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Meeker Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ames 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 Meeker Elementary School
How many students attend Meeker Elementary School?
Meeker Elementary School has 361 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ames, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Meeker Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Meeker Elementary School is 12.4:1, which is 16% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 21% 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 Meeker Elementary School?
30.8% of students at Meeker Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Meeker Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Meeker Elementary School is White at 70.5% of enrollment, in Ames, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Meeker Elementary School?
Meeker Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Meeker Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Ames?
By Resource Investment Index, Meeker Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Ames, 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 Ames on the city page.
Is Meeker Elementary School a good school?
Meeker Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Ames Comm School District?
Besides Meeker Elementary School, Ames Comm School District also operates Ames High School (1,440 students), Ames Middle School (1,033 students), and Fellows Elementary School (489 students). See the Ames 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.