Enrollment
539
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cedar Falls, IA
Southdale Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Southdale Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190651000230
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southdale Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #6 of 10
- schools in Cedar Falls · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 20.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Southdale Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southdale Elementary School ranks #6 of 10 schools in Cedar Falls, IA.
School address
District: Cedar Falls Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190651000230 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southdale Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southdale Elementary School
Southdale Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Cedar Falls, Iowa, enrolling 539 students.
At 13.8:1, 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 20.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 539 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 277 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #82.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Asian (6%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 539 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Cedar Falls's public schools, it stands alongside Peet Junior High School (695 students): Southdale Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 14.2:1).
Cedar Falls Comm School District also operates Cedar Falls High School (1,333 students) and Peet Junior High School (695 students) alongside Southdale 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 Southdale Elementary School compares
Southdale 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.4% | ▼ 44% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 539 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
539
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 47% in Iowa - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
7.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,378
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 539 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.0 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 79.8%
Asian 6.1%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 4.3%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
Largest group: White at 79.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.3, Southdale Elementary School is about as mixed as the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cedar Falls Comm School District, which includes Southdale Elementary School.
$11,378
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.2%
State 51.4%
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 Southdale Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Falls High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Peet Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Holmes Junior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Helen a Hansen Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southdale Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,333
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 695
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 628
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 472
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Cedar Falls
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Peet Junior High School
Standard public school
695 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Holmes Junior High School
Standard public school
628 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Helen a Hansen Elementary School
Standard public school
569 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary
Standard public school
472 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Orchard Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
458 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Cedar Heights Elementary School
Standard public school
451 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
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 (~539 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southdale Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Southdale Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Falls 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 Southdale Elementary School
How many students attend Southdale Elementary School?
Southdale Elementary School has 539 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cedar Falls, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southdale Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southdale Elementary School is 13.8:1, which is 7% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 12% 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 Southdale Elementary School?
20.4% of students at Southdale Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southdale Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Southdale Elementary School is White at 79.8% of enrollment, in Cedar Falls, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southdale Elementary School?
Southdale Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (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).
How does Southdale Elementary School rank among schools in Cedar Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Southdale Elementary School ranks #6 of 10 schools in Cedar Falls, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cedar Falls on the city page.
Is Southdale Elementary School a good school?
Southdale Elementary School earns 49/100 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 Cedar Falls Comm School District?
Besides Southdale Elementary School, Cedar Falls Comm School District also operates Cedar Falls High School (1,333 students), Peet Junior High School (695 students), and Holmes Junior High School (628 students). See the Cedar Falls 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.