Enrollment
173
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Leon, IA
South Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for South Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 61/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190690000300
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Elementary School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Leon · Resource Index
- 61
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.2:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 64.4%
- free-lunch eligible
South Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 93% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Leon, IA.
School address
District: Central Decatur Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190690000300 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-31% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+77% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Elementary School
South Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Leon, Iowa, enrolling 173 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.2:1, South Elementary School is leaner than roughly 93% of Iowa schools and 31% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 64.4% of students qualify for free meals, 77% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 173 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 32 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #5.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Leon's public schools, it stands alongside Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School (291 students): South Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.2:1 vs 14.6:1).
Central Decatur Comm School District also operates Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School (291 students) and North Elementary School (168 students) alongside South Elementary School.
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 South Elementary School compares
South Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.2:1 | ▼ 31% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.4% | ▲ 77% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 173 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.2:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
173
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 77% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.2:1
students per teacher
- 31% below state mean
Top 7% in Iowa - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,169
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 90.2%
Two or More 5.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
African American 0.6%
Largest group: White at 90.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.2, South Elementary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Decatur Comm School District, which includes South Elementary School.
$13,169
Per student
+2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.4%
State 58.3%
Federal 15.3%
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 South Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 291
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 168
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Leon
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~173 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare South Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Central Decatur 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 South Elementary School
How many students attend South Elementary School?
South Elementary School has 173 students enrolled. It is a public school in Leon, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elementary School is 10.2:1, which is 31% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 35% 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 South Elementary School?
64.4% of students at South Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Elementary School is White at 90.2% of enrollment, in Leon, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elementary School?
South Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 61/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Elementary School rank among public schools in Leon?
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Leon, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Leon on the city page.
Is South Elementary School a good school?
South Elementary School earns 61/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of Iowa schools. 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 Central Decatur Comm School District?
Besides South Elementary School, Central Decatur Comm School District also operates Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School (291 students) and North Elementary School (168 students). See the Central Decatur 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.