Enrollment
317
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fairfield, IA
Pence Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Pence Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 62/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 191134000698
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 85
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pence Elementary earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Fairfield · Resource Index
- 62
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 44.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Pence Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pence Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, IA.
School address
District: Fairfield Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191134000698 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pence Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pence Elementary
Pence Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Fairfield, Iowa, enrolling 317 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.3:1, Pence Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of Iowa schools and 24% 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 44.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 317 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 363 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (8%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.0% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Fairfield's elementary schools, it stands alongside Fairfield Middle School (410 students): Pence Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (11.3:1 vs 10.8:1).
Fairfield Comm School District also operates Fairfield High School (442 students) and Fairfield Middle School (410 students) alongside Pence Elementary.
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 Pence Elementary compares
Pence 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 | 11.3:1 | ▼ 24% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.1% | ▲ 21% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 317 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
317
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 15% in Iowa - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,725
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 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
18
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.2 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 78.9%
Two or More 7.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Asian 4.1%
African American 1.9%
Largest group: White at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.4, Pence Elementary is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfield Comm School District, which includes Pence Elementary.
$13,725
Per student
+7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 43.0%
Federal 14.9%
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 Pence Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairfield Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pence Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 239
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Fairfield
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~317 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pence Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Pence Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfield 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 Pence Elementary
How many students attend Pence Elementary?
Pence Elementary has 317 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fairfield, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pence Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Pence Elementary is 11.3:1, which is 24% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 28% 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 Pence Elementary?
44.1% of students at Pence Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pence Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Pence Elementary is White at 78.9% of enrollment, in Fairfield, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pence Elementary?
Pence Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 62/100 (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 Pence Elementary rank among public schools in Fairfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Pence Elementary ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, 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 Fairfield on the city page.
Is Pence Elementary a good school?
Pence Elementary earns 62/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Fairfield Comm School District?
Besides Pence Elementary, Fairfield Comm School District also operates Fairfield High School (442 students), Fairfield Middle School (410 students), and Washington Elementary (239 students). See the Fairfield 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.