Enrollment
408
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alleman, IA
North Polk Central Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for North Polk Central Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192091001923
👥 S:T ratio 29
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Polk Central Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Alleman · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.7:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 9.4%
- free-lunch eligible
North Polk Central Elementary School has class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Polk Central Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Alleman, IA.
School address
District: North Polk Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192091001923 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
9.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Polk Central Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Polk Central Elementary School
North Polk Central Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Alleman, Iowa, enrolling 408 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.7:1 is larger than about 88% of Iowa schools and 20% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 9.4% free-meal eligibility runs 74% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 408 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 173 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #113.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 453 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
North Polk Comm School District also operates North Polk High School (644 students) and North Polk Middle School (504 students) alongside North Polk Central 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 North Polk Central Elementary School compares
North Polk Central 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 | 17.7:1 | ▲ 20% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 9.4% | ▼ 74% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 408 | top 32% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
408
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
9.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 88% in Iowa - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.8%
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
$11,296
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 89.2%
African American 3.7%
Two or More 3.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 89.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.1, North Polk Central Elementary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Polk Comm School District, which includes North Polk Central Elementary School.
$11,296
Per student
-12%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.6%
State 53.4%
Federal 6.9%
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 Polk Central Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Polk High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Polk Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Polk West Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Big Creek Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Polk Central Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 644
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~408 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Polk Central Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare North Polk Central Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- North Polk 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 Polk Central Elementary School
How many students attend North Polk Central Elementary School?
North Polk Central Elementary School has 408 students enrolled. It is a public school in Alleman, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Polk Central Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at North Polk Central Elementary School is 17.7:1, which is 20% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Polk Central Elementary School?
9.4% of students at North Polk Central Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Polk Central Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at North Polk Central Elementary School is White at 89.2% of enrollment, in Alleman, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Polk Central Elementary School?
North Polk Central 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 North Polk Central Elementary School rank among public schools in Alleman?
By Resource Investment Index, North Polk Central Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Alleman, 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 Alleman on the city page.
Is North Polk Central Elementary School a good school?
North Polk Central Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% 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 Polk Comm School District?
Besides North Polk Central Elementary School, North Polk Comm School District also operates North Polk High School (644 students), North Polk Middle School (504 students), and North Polk West Elementary School (396 students). See the North Polk 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.