Enrollment
74
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cedar Rapids, IA
Prairie Early Childhood Center
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Early Childhood Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190786002263
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Early Childhood Center earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Iowa.
- #17 of 17
- schools in Cedar Rapids · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 16.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie Early Childhood Center has class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Early Childhood Center ranks #17 of 17 schools in Cedar Rapids, IA.
School address
District: College Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190786002263 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
16.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Early Childhood Center compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Early Childhood Center
Prairie Early Childhood Center is a lower-poverty, small combined-grade school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, enrolling 74 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.5:1 is larger than about 91% of Iowa schools and 25% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 16.7% free-meal eligibility runs 54% below the Iowa average.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Iowa schools, with 74 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and African American (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 55/100).
Among Cedar Rapids's public schools, it stands alongside Prairie Point (868 students): Prairie Early Childhood Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.5:1 vs 11.4:1).
College Comm School District also operates Prairie High School (1,766 students) and Prairie Point (868 students) alongside Prairie Early Childhood Center.
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 Early Childhood Center compares
Prairie Early Childhood Center on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.5:1 | ▲ 25% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 16.7% | ▼ 54% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 74 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
74
Bigger than 8% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
16.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 91% in Iowa - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 58.1%
African American 32.4%
Two or More 6.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
Largest group: White at 58.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.2, Prairie Early Childhood Center is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for College Comm School District, which includes Prairie Early Childhood Center.
$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 Early Childhood Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Point | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Creek | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Hill Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Ridge Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Early Childhood Center'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
- 846
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Cedar Rapids
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Prairie Point
Standard public school
868 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Viola Gibson Elementary School
Standard public school
565 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
West Willow Elementary School
Standard public school
555 students 18.5:1 students per teacher
Maple Grove Elementary
Standard public school
539 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Prairie Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
466 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Prairie Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
438 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~74 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Early Childhood Center's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Early Childhood Center 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 Early Childhood Center
How many students attend Prairie Early Childhood Center?
Prairie Early Childhood Center has 74 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Early Childhood Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Early Childhood Center is 18.5:1, which is 25% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prairie Early Childhood Center?
16.7% of students at Prairie Early Childhood Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Early Childhood Center?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Early Childhood Center is White at 58.1% of enrollment, in Cedar Rapids, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Early Childhood Center?
Prairie Early Childhood Center has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Prairie Early Childhood Center rank among schools in Cedar Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Early Childhood Center ranks #17 of 17 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 schools in Cedar Rapids on the city page.
Is Prairie Early Childhood Center a good school?
Prairie Early Childhood Center earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Iowa. 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 Early Childhood Center, College Comm School District also operates Prairie High School (1,766 students), Prairie Point (868 students), and Prairie Creek (846 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.