Enrollment
396
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Polk City, IA
North Polk West Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for North Polk West Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192091001249
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 21
📋 Attendance 64
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Polk West Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 6.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 396
- students enrolled
North Polk West Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: North Polk Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192091001249 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-83% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Polk West Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Polk West Elementary School
North Polk West Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Polk City, Iowa, enrolling 396 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.1% free-meal eligibility runs 83% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 396 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 121 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #54.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 396 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
14.6% 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 West 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 West Elementary School compares
North Polk West 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.1% | ▼ 83% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 396 | top 33% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
396
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 83% 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
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 61% in Iowa - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
14.6%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 396 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 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 93.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
Two or More 2.5%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 93.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.6, North Polk West 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 West 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 West Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Polk High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Polk Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Polk Central Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Big Creek Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Polk West 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
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- 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 (~396 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Polk West Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare North Polk West 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 West Elementary School
How many students attend North Polk West Elementary School?
North Polk West Elementary School has 396 students enrolled. It is a public school in Polk City, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Polk West Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at North Polk West Elementary School is 14.7:1, which is 1% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 6% 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 North Polk West Elementary School?
6.1% of students at North Polk West 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 West Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at North Polk West Elementary School is White at 93.4% of enrollment, in Polk City, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Polk West Elementary School?
North Polk West Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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).
Is North Polk West Elementary School a good school?
North Polk West Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 West Elementary School, North Polk Comm School District also operates North Polk High School (644 students), North Polk Middle School (504 students), and North Polk Central Elementary School (408 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.