Enrollment
334
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cedar Rapids, IA
Pierce Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Pierce Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190654000256
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pierce Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #3 of 13
- elementary schools in Cedar Rapids · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 30.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Pierce Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pierce Elementary School ranks #3 of 13 elementary schools in Cedar Rapids, IA.
School address
District: Cedar Rapids Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190654000256 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pierce Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pierce Elementary School
Pierce Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, enrolling 334 students.
At 14.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 30.4% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 334 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 464 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #314.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 348 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Cedar Rapids's elementary schools, it stands alongside Prairie Creek (846 students): Pierce Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.5:1 vs 15.7:1).
Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students) and Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students) alongside Pierce 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 Pierce Elementary School compares
Pierce 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 | 14.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.4% | ▼ 16% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 334 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
334
Bigger than 37% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 58% in Iowa - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,962
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
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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 69.4%
Two or More 13.2%
African American 10.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
Asian 1.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Largest group: White at 69.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.8, Pierce Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedar Rapids Comm School District, which includes Pierce Elementary School.
$13,962
Per student
+9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 48.5%
Federal 13.9%
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 Pierce Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F Kennedy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| George Washington High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Harding Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Taft Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pierce Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,501
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 710
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Cedar Rapids
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Prairie Creek
Standard public school
846 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Van Buren Elementary School
Standard public school
429 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Hoover Elementary School
Standard public school
420 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Johnson Steam Academy School
Standard public school
324 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Grant Elementary School
Standard public school
312 students 13:1 students per teacher
Erskine Elementary School
Standard public school
308 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~334 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pierce Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Pierce Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Rapids 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 Pierce Elementary School
How many students attend Pierce Elementary School?
Pierce Elementary School has 334 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pierce Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pierce Elementary School is 14.5:1, which is 2% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 8% 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 Pierce Elementary School?
30.4% of students at Pierce Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pierce Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Pierce Elementary School is White at 69.4% of enrollment, in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pierce Elementary School?
Pierce 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 Pierce Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Cedar Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Pierce Elementary School ranks #3 of 13 elementary schools in Cedar Rapids, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Cedar Rapids on the city page.
Is Pierce Elementary School a good school?
Pierce Elementary School earns 45/100 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 Cedar Rapids Comm School District?
Besides Pierce Elementary School, Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students), Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students), and George Washington High School (1,182 students). See the Cedar Rapids 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.