Enrollment
168
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 190690000816
North Elementary School — Leon, IA
Federal NCES profile for North Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 52/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 43
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: Central Decatur 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)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Elementary School 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
North Elementary School reports 168 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 12.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% below the Iowa state mean of 15:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 10% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 58.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 60% above the Iowa average and 12% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 22.6% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Central Decatur Comm School District spends $14,377 per pupil district-wide, below the Iowa average of $17,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 26.4% from local sources (property taxes), 58.3% from the state, and 15.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-), calculated from 3 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 North Elementary School 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 5% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.1% | ▲ 60% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 168 | top 17% | — | — |
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
58.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 60% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
— 5% below state mean
Top 53% in Iowa — lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
22.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,377
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 168 Top 17% in Iowa — larger than 83% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 12.0
Students per teacher 14.3:1 -5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 58.1% +60% vs state
NCES ID 190690000816
Student demographics
White 92.3%
Two or More 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.6%
Largest group: White at 92.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 22.6%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Decatur Comm School District, which includes North Elementary School.
$14,377
Per student
-16%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 26.4%
State 58.3%
Federal 15.3%
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
- 291
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 173
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
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 North Elementary School
How many students attend North Elementary School?
North Elementary School has 168 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Leon, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at North Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 5% lower than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 10% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Elementary School?
58.1% of students at North Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at North Elementary School is White at 92.3%. The school serves a student body in Leon, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Elementary School?
North Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (C-) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.