Enrollment
348
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 191584002132
Northstar Elementary School — Knoxville, IA
Federal NCES profile for Northstar Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 43/100.
👥 Class size 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 28
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: Knoxville 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)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northstar 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
Northstar Elementary School reports 348 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 24.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.2:1 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 11% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 50.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 38% above the Iowa average and 3% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 348 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Knoxville Comm School District spends $25,582 per pupil district-wide, above the Iowa average of $17,211 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 34.5% from local sources (property taxes), 54.7% from the state, and 10.8% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 Northstar 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 5% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.1% | ▲ 38% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 348 | top 58% | — | — |
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
50.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 38% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
— 5% below state mean
Top 51% in Iowa — lower ratio than 49% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
28.7%
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
$25,582
per pupil, district-wide
— above Iowa avg of $17,211
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 348 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
Enrollment 348 Top 58% in Iowa — larger than 42% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 24.0
Students per teacher 14.2:1 -5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 50.1% +38% vs state
NCES ID 191584002132
Student demographics
White 89.4%
Two or More 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
Asian 1.4%
African American 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 89.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 348:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.7%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Knoxville Comm School District, which includes Northstar Elementary School.
$25,582
Per student
+49%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
+31%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 54.7%
Federal 10.8%
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
- 508
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
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 Northstar Elementary School
How many students attend Northstar Elementary School?
Northstar Elementary School has 348 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Knoxville, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northstar Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northstar Elementary School is 14.2:1, which is 5% lower than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 11% 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 Northstar Elementary School?
50.1% of students at Northstar Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northstar Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Northstar Elementary School is White at 89.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Knoxville, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northstar Elementary School?
Northstar Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.