Enrollment
708
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Urbandale, IA
Walnut Hills Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Walnut Hills Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 193051000958
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 80
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walnut Hills Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Urbandale · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.6:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 7.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Walnut Hills Elementary School has class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walnut Hills Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Urbandale, IA.
School address
District: Waukee Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193051000958 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.6:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
7.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walnut Hills Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walnut Hills Elementary School
Walnut Hills Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Urbandale, Iowa, enrolling 708 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.6:1 is larger than about 91% of Iowa schools and 26% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 7.7% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the Iowa average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 92% of state schools at 708 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 86 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #59.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Two or More (6%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 708 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.2% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Urbandale's elementary schools, it stands alongside Valerius Elementary School (277 students): Walnut Hills Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.6:1 vs 15.4:1).
Waukee Comm School District also operates Northwest High School (1,574 students) and Waukee High School (1,375 students) alongside Walnut Hills 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 Walnut Hills Elementary School compares
Walnut Hills 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 | 18.6:1 | ▲ 26% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 7.7% | ▼ 79% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 708 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.6:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
708
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
7.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% 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
18.6:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 91% in Iowa - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,578
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 708 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 77.3%
Two or More 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Asian 6.1%
African American 4.2%
Largest group: White at 77.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.9, Walnut Hills Elementary School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waukee Comm School District, which includes Walnut Hills Elementary School.
$11,578
Per student
-10%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 49.3%
State 44.6%
Federal 6.1%
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 Walnut Hills Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Waukee High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| South Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Timberline School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waukee Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walnut Hills Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,574
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,375
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,092
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~708 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walnut Hills Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Walnut Hills Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Waukee 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 Walnut Hills Elementary School
How many students attend Walnut Hills Elementary School?
Walnut Hills Elementary School has 708 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Urbandale, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walnut Hills Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walnut Hills Elementary School is 18.6:1, which is 26% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 18% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Walnut Hills Elementary School?
7.7% of students at Walnut Hills Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walnut Hills Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Walnut Hills Elementary School is White at 77.3% of enrollment, in Urbandale, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walnut Hills Elementary School?
Walnut Hills Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Walnut Hills Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Urbandale?
By Resource Investment Index, Walnut Hills Elementary School ranks #3 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 Walnut Hills Elementary School a good school?
Walnut Hills Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Waukee Comm School District?
Besides Walnut Hills Elementary School, Waukee Comm School District also operates Northwest High School (1,574 students), Waukee High School (1,375 students), and South Middle School (1,092 students). See the Waukee 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.