Enrollment
292
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 190897002166
Mitchell Early Childhood Center — Des Moines, IA
Federal NCES profile for Mitchell Early Childhood Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 19/100.
👥 Class size 7
🌟 Gifted program 30
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Des Moines Independent Comm School District · Iowa
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.2:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
+55% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+72% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mitchell Early Childhood Center compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Mitchell Early Childhood Center reports 292 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 17.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 23.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 55% above the Iowa state mean of 15:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 46% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 62.5% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 72% above the Iowa average and 21% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Des Moines Independent Comm School District spends $16,255 per pupil district-wide, below the Iowa average of $17,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.4% from local sources (property taxes), 56.2% from the state, and 14.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F), calculated from 2 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Mitchell Early Childhood Center compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Iowa state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.2:1 | ▲ 55% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.5% | ▲ 72% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 292 | top 46% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
62.5%
free-lunch eligible
— 72% 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
23.2:1
students per teacher
— 55% above state mean
Top 96% in Iowa — lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$16,255
per pupil, district-wide
— below Iowa avg of $17,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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
Enrollment 292 Top 46% in Iowa — larger than 54% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 17.0
Students per teacher 23.2:1 +55% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 62.5% +72% vs state
NCES ID 190897002166
Student demographics
White 34.6%
Hispanic or Latino 29.5%
African American 15.4%
Asian 11.3%
Two or More 8.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 34.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Des Moines Independent Comm School District, which includes Mitchell Early Childhood Center.
$16,255
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 56.2%
Federal 14.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,364
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,428
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
Similar other schools in Des Moines
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cornell Elementary School
Standard public school
555 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Clive Learning Academy
Standard public school
551 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Capitol View Elementary School
Standard public school
533 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Moulton Elementary School
Standard public school
465 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Delaware Elementary
Standard public school
440 students 12.1:1 students per teacher
Cowles Elementary School
Standard public school
392 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Mitchell Early Childhood Center
How many students attend Mitchell Early Childhood Center?
Mitchell Early Childhood Center has 292 students enrolled. It is a other school in Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mitchell Early Childhood Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Mitchell Early Childhood Center is 23.2:1, which is 55% higher than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 46% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mitchell Early Childhood Center?
62.5% of students at Mitchell Early Childhood Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mitchell Early Childhood Center?
The largest demographic group at Mitchell Early Childhood Center is White at 34.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Des Moines, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mitchell Early Childhood Center?
Mitchell Early Childhood Center has a Resource Investment Index of 19/100 (F) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.