Enrollment
29
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fairbank, IA
Rural Elementary School #1
Federal NCES profile for Rural Elementary School #1, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 15/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192976001695
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rural Elementary School #1 earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Iowa.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Fairbank · Resource Index
- 15
- Resource Index · Lower
- 29:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 29
- students enrolled
Rural Elementary School #1 has class sizes larger than 98% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rural Elementary School #1 ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Fairbank, IA.
School address
District: Wapsie Valley Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192976001695 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+96% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rural Elementary School #1 compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rural Elementary School #1
Rural Elementary School #1 is a small elementary school in Fairbank, Iowa, enrolling 29 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29:1 is larger than about 98% of Iowa schools and 96% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of Iowa schools, with 29 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is predominantly White (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
Among Fairbank's elementary schools, it stands alongside Triumph Elementary School (42 students): Rural Elementary School #1 is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (29:1 vs 42:1).
Wapsie Valley Comm School District also operates Wapsie Valley High School (273 students) and Fairbank Elementary School (187 students) alongside Rural Elementary School #1.
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 Rural Elementary School #1 compares
Rural Elementary School #1 on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 29:1 | ▲ 96% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Enrollment | 29 | top 99% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
29
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Staffing depth
29:1
students per teacher
- 96% above state mean
Top 98% in Iowa - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$12,349
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 100.0%
Largest group: White at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, Rural Elementary School #1 is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wapsie Valley Comm School District, which includes Rural Elementary School #1.
$12,349
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 49.9%
Federal 8.3%
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 Rural Elementary School #1 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wapsie Valley High School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Fairbank Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Readlyn Elementary School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rural Elementary School #2 | Similar size | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
| Rural Elementary School #4 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rural Elementary School #1's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 273
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 187
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 107
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar elementary schools in Fairbank
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~29 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rural Elementary School #1's federal record.
- Compare Rural Elementary School #1 against another school. Compare schools
- Wapsie Valley 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 Rural Elementary School #1
How many students attend Rural Elementary School #1?
Rural Elementary School #1 has 29 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fairbank, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rural Elementary School #1?
The student-teacher ratio at Rural Elementary School #1 is 29:1, which is 96% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 85% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rural Elementary School #1?
The largest demographic group at Rural Elementary School #1 is White at 100.0% of enrollment, in Fairbank, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rural Elementary School #1?
Rural Elementary School #1 has a Resource Investment Index of 15/100 (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 Rural Elementary School #1 rank among elementary schools in Fairbank?
By Resource Investment Index, Rural Elementary School #1 ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Fairbank, 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 Fairbank on the city page.
Is Rural Elementary School #1 a good school?
Rural Elementary School #1 earns 15/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 Wapsie Valley Comm School District?
Besides Rural Elementary School #1, Wapsie Valley Comm School District also operates Wapsie Valley High School (273 students), Fairbank Elementary School (187 students), and Readlyn Elementary School (107 students). See the Wapsie Valley 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.