Enrollment
154
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 191034000657
River Valley Elementary — Washta, IA
Federal NCES profile for River Valley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 59/100.
👥 Class size 56
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 50
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: River Valley Comm School District · Iowa
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.9:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How River Valley Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
River Valley Elementary reports 154 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 27% below the Iowa state mean of 15:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 31% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 53.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 47% above the Iowa average and 3% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 20.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding River Valley Comm School District spends $17,229 per pupil district-wide, above the Iowa average of $17,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 47.7% from local sources (property taxes), 41.1% from the state, and 11.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (C), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How River Valley Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Iowa state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.9:1 | ▼ 27% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.4% | ▲ 47% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 154 | top 15% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
53.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 47% 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
10.9:1
students per teacher
— 27% below state mean
Top 8% in Iowa — lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
20.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,229
per pupil, district-wide
— above Iowa avg of $17,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
20
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 154 Top 15% in Iowa — larger than 85% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 10.9:1 -27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 53.4% +47% vs state
NCES ID 191034000657
Student demographics
White 93.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Two or More 1.3%
Largest group: White at 93.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 20.1%
In-school suspensions 20
Out-of-school suspensions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for River Valley Comm School District, which includes River Valley Elementary.
$17,229
Per student
+0%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 47.7%
State 41.1%
Federal 11.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 137
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about River Valley Elementary
How many students attend River Valley Elementary?
River Valley Elementary has 154 students enrolled. It is a other school in Washta, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at River Valley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at River Valley Elementary is 10.9:1, which is 27% lower than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 31% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at River Valley Elementary?
53.4% of students at River Valley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of River Valley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at River Valley Elementary is White at 93.5%. The school serves a student body in Washta, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for River Valley Elementary?
River Valley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (C) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.