Enrollment
386
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 190897002093
Samuelson Elementary School — Des Moines, IA
Federal NCES profile for Samuelson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 35
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: Des Moines Independent 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)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+98% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Samuelson Elementary School 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
Samuelson Elementary School reports 386 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 34.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 19% 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 24% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 72.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 98% above the Iowa average and 39% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 483 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 26.2% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Des Moines Independent Comm School District spends $16,255 per pupil district-wide, below the Iowa average of $17,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.4% from local sources (property taxes), 56.2% from the state, and 14.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 4 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 Samuelson Elementary School 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 19% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.1% | ▲ 98% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 386 | top 65% | — | — |
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
72.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 98% 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
12.1:1
students per teacher
— 19% below state mean
Top 19% in Iowa — lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
26.2%
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
$16,255
per pupil, district-wide
— below Iowa avg of $17,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.8 FTE
Per 482 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 386 Top 65% in Iowa — larger than 35% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 34.0
Students per teacher 12.1:1 -19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 72.1% +98% vs state
NCES ID 190897002093
Student demographics
Asian 30.6%
African American 24.6%
White 22.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.2%
Two or More 7.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Asian at 30.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.8
Students per counselor 483:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 26.2%
In-school suspensions 7
Out-of-school suspensions 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Des Moines Independent Comm School District, which includes Samuelson Elementary School.
$16,255
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 56.2%
Federal 14.4%
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
- 2,364
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,428
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
Similar elementary schools in Des Moines
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Brubaker Elementary School
Standard public school
622 students 12:1 students per teacher
Studebaker Elementary School
Standard public school
561 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Garton Elementary
Standard public school
535 students 12:1 students per teacher
Morris Elementary School
Standard public school
519 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
River Woods Elementary School
Standard public school
493 students 12.7:1 students per teacher
Jackson Elementary School
Standard public school
490 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
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 Samuelson Elementary School
How many students attend Samuelson Elementary School?
Samuelson Elementary School has 386 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Samuelson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Samuelson Elementary School is 12.1:1, which is 19% lower than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 24% 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 Samuelson Elementary School?
72.1% of students at Samuelson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Samuelson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Samuelson Elementary School is Asian at 30.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Des Moines, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Samuelson Elementary School?
Samuelson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.