Enrollment
437
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Storm Lake, IA
Storm Lake Early Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Storm Lake Early Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 3/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192739002307
👥 S:T ratio 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Storm Lake Early Elementary School earns 3/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- 3
- Resource Index · Lower
- 24.3:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 64.9%
- free-lunch eligible
- 437
- students enrolled
Storm Lake Early Elementary School has class sizes larger than 97% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Storm Lake Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192739002307 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+64% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Storm Lake Early Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Storm Lake Early Elementary School
Storm Lake Early Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Storm Lake, Iowa, enrolling 437 students.
Class loads run heavy: 24.3:1 is larger than about 97% of Iowa schools and 64% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 64.9% of students qualify for free meals, 78% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 437 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 100% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 138 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #138, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (55%) and Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Among Storm Lake's elementary schools, it stands alongside Storm Lake Elementary (822 students): Storm Lake Early Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (24.3:1 vs 15.8:1).
Storm Lake Comm School District also operates Storm Lake High School (851 students) and Storm Lake Elementary (822 students) alongside Storm Lake Early 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 Storm Lake Early Elementary School compares
Storm Lake Early 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 | 24.3:1 | ▲ 64% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.9% | ▲ 78% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 437 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.3:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
437
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% 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
24.3:1
students per teacher
- 64% above state mean
Top 97% in Iowa - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$12,490
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.
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
Hispanic or Latino 54.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 19.2%
White 11.0%
Asian 9.2%
African American 4.8%
Two or More 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 54.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.1, Storm Lake Early Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Storm Lake Comm School District, which includes Storm Lake Early Elementary School.
$12,490
Per student
-3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.1%
State 57.8%
Federal 14.1%
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 Storm Lake Early Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storm Lake High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Storm Lake Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Storm Lake Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Early Childhood Ctr | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| St Lake/Ia Cntrl/Buena Vista Early College Hs | Smaller | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Storm Lake Early Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 822
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 651
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 122
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 50
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 65/100
Similar elementary schools in Storm Lake
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~437 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Storm Lake Early Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Storm Lake Early Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Storm Lake 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 Storm Lake Early Elementary School
How many students attend Storm Lake Early Elementary School?
Storm Lake Early Elementary School has 437 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Storm Lake, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Storm Lake Early Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Storm Lake Early Elementary School is 24.3:1, which is 64% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 55% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Storm Lake Early Elementary School?
64.9% of students at Storm Lake Early Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Storm Lake Early Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Storm Lake Early Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 54.7% of enrollment, in Storm Lake, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Storm Lake Early Elementary School?
Storm Lake Early Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 3/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
Is Storm Lake Early Elementary School a good school?
Storm Lake Early Elementary School earns 3/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Storm Lake Comm School District?
Besides Storm Lake Early Elementary School, Storm Lake Comm School District also operates Storm Lake High School (851 students), Storm Lake Elementary (822 students), and Storm Lake Middle School (651 students). See the Storm Lake 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.