Enrollment
364
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Neola, IA
Tri-Center Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Tri-Center Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192799001630
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tri-Center Elementary School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Iowa schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Neola · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 24.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Tri-Center Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Center Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Neola, IA.
School address
District: Tri-Center Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192799001630 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tri-Center Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tri-Center Elementary School
Tri-Center Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Neola, Iowa, enrolling 364 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 24.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 364 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 90% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 415 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #33, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 371 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Tri-Center Comm School District also operates Tri-Center High School (225 students) and Tri-Center Middle School (135 students) alongside Tri-Center 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 Tri-Center Elementary School compares
Tri-Center 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 18% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.4% | ▼ 33% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 364 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
364
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 24% in Iowa - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
4.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$11,402
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
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 96.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.5%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
Two or More 0.3%
Largest group: White at 96.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 6.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 6.4, Tri-Center 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 Tri-Center Comm School District, which includes Tri-Center Elementary School.
$11,402
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.8%
State 50.7%
Federal 9.5%
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 Tri-Center Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Center High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tri-Center Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tri-Center Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 225
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 135
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~364 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tri-Center Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Tri-Center Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Tri-Center 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 Tri-Center Elementary School
How many students attend Tri-Center Elementary School?
Tri-Center Elementary School has 364 students enrolled. It is a public school in Neola, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tri-Center Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tri-Center Elementary School is 12.1:1, which is 18% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 23% 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 Tri-Center Elementary School?
24.4% of students at Tri-Center Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tri-Center Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Tri-Center Elementary School is White at 96.7% of enrollment, in Neola, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tri-Center Elementary School?
Tri-Center Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (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 Tri-Center Elementary School rank among public schools in Neola?
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Center Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Neola, 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 Neola on the city page.
Is Tri-Center Elementary School a good school?
Tri-Center Elementary School earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Iowa schools. It is also less 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 Tri-Center Comm School District?
Besides Tri-Center Elementary School, Tri-Center Comm School District also operates Tri-Center High School (225 students) and Tri-Center Middle School (135 students). See the Tri-Center 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.