Enrollment
239
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fairfield, IA
Washington Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Washington Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191134000701
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Washington Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Fairfield · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 43.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Washington Elementary has class sizes smaller than 70% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, IA.
School address
District: Fairfield Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191134000701 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Washington Elementary
Washington Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Fairfield, Iowa, enrolling 239 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 43.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 239 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 315 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #214.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Two or More (10%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 239 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Fairfield Comm School District also operates Fairfield High School (442 students) and Fairfield Middle School (410 students) alongside Washington Elementary.
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 Washington Elementary compares
Washington Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.1% | ▲ 18% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 239 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
239
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 30% in Iowa - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,725
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 239 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.9 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 73.6%
Two or More 9.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.5%
Asian 6.3%
African American 2.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 73.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.9, Washington Elementary is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfield Comm School District, which includes Washington Elementary.
$13,725
Per student
+7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.1%
State 43.0%
Federal 14.9%
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 Washington Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fairfield Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pence Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Washington Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 442
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 10.8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 317
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- 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 (~239 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Washington Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Washington Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfield 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 Washington Elementary
How many students attend Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has 239 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fairfield, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 15% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 20% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Washington Elementary?
43.1% of students at Washington Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Washington Elementary is White at 73.6% of enrollment, in Fairfield, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Washington Elementary rank among public schools in Fairfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, 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 Fairfield on the city page.
Is Washington Elementary a good school?
Washington Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Fairfield Comm School District?
Besides Washington Elementary, Fairfield Comm School District also operates Fairfield High School (442 students), Fairfield Middle School (410 students), and Pence Elementary (317 students). See the Fairfield 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.