Enrollment
170
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bussey, IA
Twin Cedars Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Twin Cedars Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192817001641
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Twin Cedars Elementary School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Iowa schools.
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 38.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 170
- students enrolled
Twin Cedars Elementary School has class sizes larger than 84% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Twin Cedars Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192817001641 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Twin Cedars Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Twin Cedars Elementary School
Twin Cedars Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Bussey, Iowa, enrolling 170 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 38.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 170 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 249 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #155.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 14/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Bussey's public schools, it stands alongside Twin Cedars Jr-Sr High School (142 students): Twin Cedars Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17:1 vs 8.9:1).
Its district, Twin Cedars Comm School District, also runs Twin Cedars Jr-Sr High School (142 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 Twin Cedars Elementary School compares
Twin Cedars 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 | 38.1% | ▲ 5% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 170 | top 82% | - | - |
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.
170
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
21.8%
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
$12,143
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 92.9%
Two or More 3.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 92.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.5, Twin Cedars 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 Twin Cedars Comm School District, which includes Twin Cedars Elementary School.
$12,143
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.8%
State 44.8%
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 Twin Cedars Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Cedars Jr-Sr High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Twin Cedars Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 142
- Students per teacher
- 8.9:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools in Bussey
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 (~170 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Twin Cedars Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Twin Cedars Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Twin Cedars 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 Twin Cedars Elementary School
How many students attend Twin Cedars Elementary School?
Twin Cedars Elementary School has 170 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bussey, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Twin Cedars Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Twin Cedars 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 Twin Cedars Elementary School?
38.1% of students at Twin Cedars Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Twin Cedars Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Twin Cedars Elementary School is White at 92.9% of enrollment, in Bussey, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Twin Cedars Elementary School?
Twin Cedars Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Twin Cedars Elementary School a good school?
Twin Cedars Elementary School earns 49/100 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 Twin Cedars Comm School District?
Besides Twin Cedars Elementary School, Twin Cedars Comm School District also operates Twin Cedars Jr-Sr High School (142 students). See the Twin Cedars 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.