Enrollment
578
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Van Meter, IA
Van Meter Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Van Meter Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192901001671
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Meter Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Van Meter · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 4.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Meter Elementary School has class sizes larger than 81% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Meter Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Van Meter, IA.
School address
District: Van Meter Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192901001671 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
4.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-87% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Meter Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Meter Elementary School
Van Meter Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Van Meter, Iowa, enrolling 578 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 4.9% free-meal eligibility runs 87% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 578 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 92 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #34.
Its student body is predominantly White (93% of enrollment) (diversity index 13/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 642 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding Van Meter Comm School District spends $9,282 per pupil, 28% below the Iowa average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Van Meter Comm School District also operates Van Meter High School (316 students) and Van Meter Middle School (252 students) alongside Van Meter 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 Van Meter Elementary School compares
Van Meter 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 | 16.5:1 | ▲ 11% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 4.9% | ▼ 87% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 578 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
578
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
4.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 87% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 81% in Iowa - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$9,282
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 93.1%
Two or More 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 93.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 13.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 13.1, Van Meter 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 Van Meter Comm School District, which includes Van Meter Elementary School.
$9,282
Per student
-28%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.1%
State 45.5%
Federal 7.4%
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 Van Meter Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Meter High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Van Meter Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Van Meter Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 252
- Students per teacher
- 50.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~578 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Meter Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Van Meter Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Van Meter 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 Van Meter Elementary School
How many students attend Van Meter Elementary School?
Van Meter Elementary School has 578 students enrolled. It is a public school in Van Meter, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Meter Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Meter Elementary School is 16.5:1, which is 11% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 5% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Meter Elementary School?
4.9% of students at Van Meter Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Meter Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Van Meter Elementary School is White at 93.1% of enrollment, in Van Meter, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Meter Elementary School?
Van Meter Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical 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 Van Meter Elementary School rank among public schools in Van Meter?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Meter Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Van Meter, 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 Van Meter on the city page.
Is Van Meter Elementary School a good school?
Van Meter Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Van Meter Comm School District?
Besides Van Meter Elementary School, Van Meter Comm School District also operates Van Meter High School (316 students) and Van Meter Middle School (252 students). See the Van Meter 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.