Enrollment
102
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Thornburg, IA
Tri-County Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Tri-County Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192802001636
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 24
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tri-County Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Iowa schools.
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 38.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 102
- students enrolled
Tri-County Elementary School has class sizes larger than 84% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Tri-County Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192802001636 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tri-County Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tri-County Elementary School
Tri-County Elementary School is a small combined-grade school in Thornburg, Iowa, enrolling 102 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 38.5% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Iowa schools, with 102 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 90 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #72, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Thornburg's public schools, it stands alongside Tri-County Jr/Sr High School (77 students): Tri-County Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17:1 vs 8.6:1).
Its district, Tri-County Comm School District, also runs Tri-County Jr/Sr High School (77 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 Tri-County Elementary School compares
Tri-County 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 | 17:1 | ▲ 15% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.5% | ▲ 6% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 102 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
102
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 84% in Iowa - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,695
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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 92.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
African American 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Two or More 1.0%
Largest group: White at 92.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.7, Tri-County 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-County Comm School District, which includes Tri-County Elementary School.
$13,695
Per student
+7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.0%
State 51.7%
Federal 10.4%
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 Tri-County Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-County Jr/Sr High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tri-County Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 77
- Students per teacher
- 8.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Thornburg
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 (~102 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tri-County Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Tri-County Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Tri-County 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-County Elementary School
How many students attend Tri-County Elementary School?
Tri-County Elementary School has 102 students enrolled. It is a public school in Thornburg, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tri-County Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tri-County Elementary School is 17:1, which is 15% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Tri-County Elementary School?
38.5% of students at Tri-County Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tri-County Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Tri-County Elementary School is White at 92.2% of enrollment, in Thornburg, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tri-County Elementary School?
Tri-County Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Tri-County Elementary School a good school?
Tri-County Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% 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 Tri-County Comm School District?
Besides Tri-County Elementary School, Tri-County Comm School District also operates Tri-County Jr/Sr High School (77 students). See the Tri-County 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.