Enrollment
846
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cedar Rapids, IA
Prairie Creek
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Creek, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190786002113
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Creek earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Iowa schools.
- #12 of 13
- elementary schools in Cedar Rapids · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.7:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 32.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie Creek has class sizes larger than 74% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Creek ranks #12 of 13 elementary schools in Cedar Rapids, IA.
School address
District: College Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190786002113 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Creek compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Creek
Prairie Creek is a large elementary school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, enrolling 846 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 32.5% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 94% of state schools at 846 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 125 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #100, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 423 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Cedar Rapids's elementary schools, it stands alongside Van Buren Elementary School (429 students): Prairie Creek is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.7:1 vs 14.3:1).
College Comm School District also operates Prairie High School (1,766 students) and Prairie Point (868 students) alongside Prairie Creek.
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 Prairie Creek compares
Prairie Creek on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.5% | ▼ 11% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 846 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
846
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 74% in Iowa - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
29.2%
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
$12,611
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 423 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 83 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.6 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 68.8%
African American 14.2%
Hispanic or Latino 7.2%
Two or More 6.9%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 68.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.6, Prairie Creek is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for College Comm School District, which includes Prairie Creek.
$12,611
Per student
-2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.5%
State 41.8%
Federal 7.7%
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 Prairie Creek Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Point | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Hill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Ridge Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Crest Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Creek's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,766
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 868
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Cedar Rapids
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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
Pierce Elementary School
Standard public school
334 students 14.5:1 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 (~846 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Creek's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Creek against another school. Compare schools
- College 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 Prairie Creek
How many students attend Prairie Creek?
Prairie Creek has 846 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Creek?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Creek is 15.7:1, which is 6% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 0% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prairie Creek?
32.5% of students at Prairie Creek are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Creek?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Creek is White at 68.8% of enrollment, in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Creek?
Prairie Creek has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Prairie Creek rank among elementary schools in Cedar Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Creek ranks #12 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 Prairie Creek a good school?
Prairie Creek earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 College Comm School District?
Besides Prairie Creek, College Comm School District also operates Prairie High School (1,766 students), Prairie Point (868 students), and Prairie Hill Elementary School (466 students). See the College 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.