Enrollment
277
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Urbandale, IA
Valerius Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Valerius Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 192868002069
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valerius Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Urbandale · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.4:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 28.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Valerius Elementary School has class sizes larger than 71% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valerius Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Urbandale, IA.
School address
District: Urbandale Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192868002069 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valerius Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valerius Elementary School
Valerius Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Urbandale, Iowa, enrolling 277 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.4:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 277 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 444 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #191.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Urbandale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Walnut Hills Elementary School (708 students): Valerius Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.4:1 vs 18.6:1).
Urbandale Comm School District also operates Urbandale High School (1,301 students) and Urbandale Middle School (892 students) alongside Valerius 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 Valerius Elementary School compares
Valerius 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 | 15.4:1 | ▲ 4% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.9% | ▼ 21% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.4:1
Leaner classes than 43% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
15.4:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 71% in Iowa - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,327
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 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Urbandale Comm School District, which includes Valerius Elementary School.
$12,327
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.0%
State 37.5%
Federal 8.5%
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 Valerius Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urbandale High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Urbandale Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Olmsted Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Karen Acres Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valerius Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,301
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 892
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 622
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 519
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 296
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar elementary schools in Urbandale
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 (~277 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valerius Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Valerius Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Urbandale 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 Valerius Elementary School
How many students attend Valerius Elementary School?
Valerius Elementary School has 277 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Urbandale, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valerius Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Valerius Elementary School is 15.4:1, which is 4% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valerius Elementary School?
28.9% of students at Valerius Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valerius Elementary School?
Valerius Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Valerius Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Urbandale?
By Resource Investment Index, Valerius Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Urbandale, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Urbandale on the city page.
Is Valerius Elementary School a good school?
Valerius Elementary School earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Urbandale Comm School District?
Besides Valerius Elementary School, Urbandale Comm School District also operates Urbandale High School (1,301 students), Urbandale Middle School (892 students), and Olmsted Elementary School (622 students). See the Urbandale 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.