Enrollment
370
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jewell, IA
South Hamilton Elem
Federal NCES profile for South Hamilton Elem, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192664001547
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Hamilton Elem earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Iowa schools.
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 21.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 370
- students enrolled
South Hamilton Elem has class sizes larger than 83% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: South Hamilton Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192664001547 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Hamilton Elem compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Hamilton Elem
South Hamilton Elem is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Jewell, Iowa, enrolling 370 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 21.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 370 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 385 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #199.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 370 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
15.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Jewell's public schools, it stands alongside South Hamilton Middle and High School (300 students): South Hamilton Elem is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 12.5:1).
Its district, South Hamilton Comm School District, also runs South Hamilton Middle and High School (300 students).
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 Hamilton Elem compares
South Hamilton Elem on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▲ 14% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.5% | ▼ 41% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 370 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
370
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 83% in Iowa - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,897
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 370 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 91.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Two or More 2.4%
Largest group: White at 91.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 15.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 15.2, South Hamilton Elem is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Hamilton Comm School District, which includes South Hamilton Elem.
$11,897
Per student
-7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.0%
State 36.7%
Federal 9.4%
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.
How South Hamilton Elem Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hamilton Middle and High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Hamilton Elem's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Jewell
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 (~370 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Hamilton Elem's federal record.
- Compare South Hamilton Elem against another school. Compare schools
- South Hamilton 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 Hamilton Elem
How many students attend South Hamilton Elem?
South Hamilton Elem has 370 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jewell, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Hamilton Elem?
The student-teacher ratio at South Hamilton Elem is 16.8:1, which is 14% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 7% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Hamilton Elem?
21.5% of students at South Hamilton Elem are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Hamilton Elem?
The largest demographic group at South Hamilton Elem is White at 91.9% of enrollment, in Jewell, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Hamilton Elem?
South Hamilton Elem has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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).
Is South Hamilton Elem a good school?
South Hamilton Elem earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 South Hamilton Comm School District?
Besides South Hamilton Elem, South Hamilton Comm School District also operates South Hamilton Middle and High School (300 students). See the South Hamilton 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.