Enrollment
424
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Underwood, IA
Underwood Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Underwood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192823001646
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Underwood Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Underwood · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.3:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 11.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Underwood Elementary School has class sizes larger than 80% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Underwood Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Underwood, IA.
School address
District: Underwood Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192823001646 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-67% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Underwood Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Underwood Elementary School
Underwood Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Underwood, Iowa, enrolling 424 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.9% free-meal eligibility runs 67% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 424 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 203 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #68.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment) (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 424 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Underwood Comm School District also operates Underwood High School (247 students) and Underwood Middle School (184 students) alongside Underwood 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 Underwood Elementary School compares
Underwood 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.9% | ▼ 67% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 424 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
424
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 67% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 80% in Iowa - lower ratio than 20% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
7.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,339
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 424 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 95.0%
Two or More 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.9%
Asian 0.5%
African American 0.2%
Largest group: White at 95.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.7, Underwood 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 Underwood Comm School District, which includes Underwood Elementary School.
$11,339
Per student
-12%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.2%
State 47.9%
Federal 6.9%
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 Underwood Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underwood High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Underwood Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Underwood Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 247
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 184
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
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 (~424 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Underwood Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Underwood Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Underwood 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 Underwood Elementary School
How many students attend Underwood Elementary School?
Underwood Elementary School has 424 students enrolled. It is a public school in Underwood, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Underwood Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Underwood Elementary School is 16.3:1, which is 10% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Underwood Elementary School?
11.9% of students at Underwood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Underwood Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Underwood Elementary School is White at 95.0% of enrollment, in Underwood, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Underwood Elementary School?
Underwood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Underwood Elementary School rank among public schools in Underwood?
By Resource Investment Index, Underwood Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Underwood, 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 Underwood on the city page.
Is Underwood Elementary School a good school?
Underwood Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 80% 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 Underwood Comm School District?
Besides Underwood Elementary School, Underwood Comm School District also operates Underwood High School (247 students) and Underwood Middle School (184 students). See the Underwood 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.