Enrollment
227
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Buffalo Center, IA
North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center
Federal NCES profile for North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190575000176
👥 S:T ratio 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 55
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Buffalo Center · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 34.0%
- free-lunch eligible
North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center has class sizes larger than 87% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Buffalo Center, IA.
School address
District: North Iowa Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190575000176 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center
North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Buffalo Center, Iowa, enrolling 227 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.5:1 is larger than about 87% of Iowa schools and 18% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.0% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 227 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 399 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #105.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 227 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
11.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
North Iowa Comm School District also operates North Iowa High School (124 students) and North Iowa Middle School (115 students) alongside North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center.
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 North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center compares
North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.5:1 | ▲ 18% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.0% | ▼ 7% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 227 | top 70% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.5:1
Leaner classes than 27% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
227
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
17.5:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 87% in Iowa - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,297
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 227 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 85.9%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
Two or More 1.3%
Largest group: White at 85.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 24.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 24.6, North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Iowa Comm School District, which includes North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center.
$13,297
Per student
+3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 53.8%
State 29.9%
Federal 16.3%
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.
How North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Iowa High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Iowa Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 124
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 115
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar other 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 (~227 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center's federal record.
- Compare North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center against another school. Compare schools
- North Iowa 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 North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center
How many students attend North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center?
North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center has 227 students enrolled. It is a public school in Buffalo Center, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center?
The student-teacher ratio at North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center is 17.5:1, which is 18% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 11% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center?
34.0% of students at North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center?
The largest demographic group at North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center is White at 85.9% of enrollment, in Buffalo Center, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center?
North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center rank among public schools in Buffalo Center?
By Resource Investment Index, North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Buffalo Center, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Buffalo Center on the city page.
Is North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center a good school?
North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 North Iowa Comm School District?
Besides North Iowa Elem Buffalo Center, North Iowa Comm School District also operates North Iowa High School (124 students) and North Iowa Middle School (115 students). See the North Iowa 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.