Enrollment
639
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Ankeny, IA
Rock Creek Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Rock Creek Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 190369002213
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 36
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rock Creek Elementary earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #4 of 10
- elementary schools in Ankeny · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.9:1
- students per teacher
- 14.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Rock Creek Elementary has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rock Creek Elementary ranks #4 of 10 elementary schools in Ankeny, IA.
School address
District: Ankeny Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190369002213 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rock Creek Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rock Creek Elementary
Rock Creek Elementary is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Ankeny, Iowa, enrolling 639 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.6% free-meal eligibility runs 60% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 639 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 169 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #48.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 320 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Ankeny's elementary schools, it stands alongside Heritage Elementary (604 students): Rock Creek Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.9:1 vs 17.8:1).
Ankeny Comm School District also operates Ankeny Centennial High School (1,470 students) and Ankeny High School (1,375 students) alongside Rock Creek 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 Rock Creek Elementary compares
Rock Creek 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 | 14.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.6% | ▼ 60% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 639 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
639
Bigger than 76% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% 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
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 64% in Iowa - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.8%
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
$11,716
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 320 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 71.2%
African American 11.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%
Two or More 5.6%
Asian 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 71.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.0, Rock Creek Elementary is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ankeny Comm School District, which includes Rock Creek Elementary.
$11,716
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.8%
State 50.4%
Federal 5.8%
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 Rock Creek Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ankeny Centennial High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ankeny High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northview Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Prairie Ridge Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southview Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rock Creek Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,021
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,004
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary schools in Ankeny
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Heritage Elementary
Standard public school
604 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Northeast Elementary
Standard public school
595 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Southeast Elementary School
Standard public school
585 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Westwood Elementary School
Standard public school
551 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Ashland Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
548 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Prairie Trail Elementary
Standard public school
526 students 15.5:1 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 (~639 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rock Creek Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Rock Creek Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Ankeny 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 Rock Creek Elementary
How many students attend Rock Creek Elementary?
Rock Creek Elementary has 639 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Ankeny, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rock Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Rock Creek Elementary is 14.9:1, which is 1% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rock Creek Elementary?
14.6% of students at Rock Creek Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rock Creek Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Rock Creek Elementary is White at 71.2% of enrollment, in Ankeny, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rock Creek Elementary?
Rock Creek Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Rock Creek Elementary rank among elementary schools in Ankeny?
By Resource Investment Index, Rock Creek Elementary ranks #4 of 10 elementary schools in Ankeny, 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 Ankeny on the city page.
Is Rock Creek Elementary a good school?
Rock Creek Elementary earns 49/100 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 Ankeny Comm School District?
Besides Rock Creek Elementary, Ankeny Comm School District also operates Ankeny Centennial High School (1,470 students), Ankeny High School (1,375 students), and Northview Middle School (1,021 students). See the Ankeny 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.