Enrollment
198
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ossian, IA
South Winneshiek Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for South Winneshiek Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 63/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192679001562
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Winneshiek Elementary School earns 63/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- 63
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 26.2%
- free-lunch eligible
- 198
- students enrolled
South Winneshiek Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: South Winneshiek Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192679001562 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-28% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Winneshiek Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Winneshiek Elementary School
South Winneshiek Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Ossian, Iowa, enrolling 198 students.
At 14.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 198 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 316 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 11/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 198 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
South Winneshiek Comm School District also operates South Winneshiek High School (205 students) and South Winneshiek Middle School (126 students) alongside South Winneshiek 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 Winneshiek Elementary School compares
South Winneshiek 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 | 14.1:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.2% | ▼ 28% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 198 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
198
Bigger than 19% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 28% 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
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 52% in Iowa - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,205
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 198 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
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 94.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
Two or More 1.0%
Asian 0.5%
Largest group: White at 94.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.7, South Winneshiek 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 South Winneshiek Comm School District, which includes South Winneshiek Elementary School.
$13,205
Per student
+3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.0%
State 43.8%
Federal 12.2%
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 Winneshiek Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Winneshiek High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Winneshiek Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Winneshiek Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 205
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 126
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
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 (~198 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Winneshiek Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare South Winneshiek Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- South Winneshiek 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 Winneshiek Elementary School
How many students attend South Winneshiek Elementary School?
South Winneshiek Elementary School has 198 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ossian, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Winneshiek Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Winneshiek Elementary School is 14.1:1, which is 5% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% 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 Winneshiek Elementary School?
26.2% of students at South Winneshiek Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Winneshiek Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Winneshiek Elementary School is White at 94.4% of enrollment, in Ossian, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Winneshiek Elementary School?
South Winneshiek Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 63/100 (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).
Is South Winneshiek Elementary School a good school?
South Winneshiek Elementary School earns 63/100 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 South Winneshiek Comm School District?
Besides South Winneshiek Elementary School, South Winneshiek Comm School District also operates South Winneshiek High School (205 students) and South Winneshiek Middle School (126 students). See the South Winneshiek 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.