Enrollment
438
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cedar Rapids, IA
Prairie Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190786000761
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Prairie Ridge Elementary earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #2 of 17
- schools in Cedar Rapids · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 30.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Prairie Ridge Elementary has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Ridge Elementary ranks #2 of 17 schools in Cedar Rapids, IA.
School address
District: College Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190786000761 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Ridge Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Prairie Ridge Elementary
Prairie Ridge Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, enrolling 438 students.
At 14.6:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 438 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 407 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #239.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 438 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Cedar Rapids's public schools, it stands alongside Prairie Point (868 students): Prairie Ridge Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.6:1 vs 11.4:1).
College Comm School District also operates Prairie High School (1,766 students) and Prairie Point (868 students) alongside Prairie Ridge 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 Prairie Ridge Elementary compares
Prairie Ridge 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.2% | ▼ 17% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 438 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
438
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 60% in Iowa - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 438 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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 69.9%
African American 11.2%
Two or More 9.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 69.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.3, Prairie Ridge Elementary 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 Ridge Elementary.
$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 Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Point | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie Creek | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Hill Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Prairie Crest Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Prairie Ridge Elementary'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
- 434
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 Crest Elementary
Standard public school
434 students 15:1 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 (~438 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Prairie Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Prairie Ridge Elementary 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 Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Prairie Ridge Elementary?
Prairie Ridge Elementary has 438 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Ridge Elementary is 14.6:1, which is 1% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 7% 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 Prairie Ridge Elementary?
30.2% of students at Prairie Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Ridge Elementary is White at 69.9% of enrollment, in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Ridge Elementary?
Prairie Ridge Elementary 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 Prairie Ridge Elementary rank among schools in Cedar Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Prairie Ridge Elementary ranks #2 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 Ridge Elementary a good school?
Prairie Ridge Elementary 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 College Comm School District?
Besides Prairie Ridge Elementary, 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.