Enrollment
130
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fenton, IA
North Union Elementary
Federal NCES profile for North Union Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 64/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190385001458
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 74
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Union Elementary earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 88% of Iowa schools.
- 64
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.8:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 38.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 130
- students enrolled
North Union Elementary has class sizes smaller than 88% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: North Union Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190385001458 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Union Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Union Elementary
North Union Elementary is a small combined-grade school in Fenton, Iowa, enrolling 130 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.8:1, North Union Elementary is leaner than roughly 88% of Iowa schools and 27% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 38.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 130 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 145 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #10, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 130 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
17.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district, North Union Comm School District, also runs North Union High School (170 students).
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 Union Elementary compares
North Union Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.8:1 | ▼ 27% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.9% | ▲ 7% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 130 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
130
Bigger than 13% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 12% in Iowa - lower ratio than 88% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,475
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 130 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
- 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 93.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
African American 1.5%
Two or More 1.5%
Largest group: White at 93.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.1, North Union Elementary is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Union Comm School District, which includes North Union Elementary.
$14,475
Per student
+13%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.0%
State 31.7%
Federal 8.2%
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 Union Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Union High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Union Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 170
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 (~130 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Union Elementary's federal record.
- Compare North Union Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- North Union 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 Union Elementary
How many students attend North Union Elementary?
North Union Elementary has 130 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fenton, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Union Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at North Union Elementary is 10.8:1, which is 27% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 31% 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 Union Elementary?
38.9% of students at North Union Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Union Elementary?
The largest demographic group at North Union Elementary is White at 93.1% of enrollment, in Fenton, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Union Elementary?
North Union Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 64/100 (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 Union Elementary a good school?
North Union Elementary earns 64/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Union Comm School District?
Besides North Union Elementary, North Union Comm School District also operates North Union High School (170 students). See the North Union 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.