Enrollment
230
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waverly, IA
West Cedar Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for West Cedar Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 193054001751
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Cedar Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 4
- elementary schools in Waverly · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 13.5%
- free-lunch eligible
West Cedar Elementary School has class sizes larger than 92% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Cedar Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Waverly, IA.
School address
District: Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 193054001751 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Cedar Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Cedar Elementary School
West Cedar Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Waverly, Iowa, enrolling 230 students.
Class loads run heavy: 19.2:1 is larger than about 92% of Iowa schools and 30% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.5% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 230 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 191 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #168, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 230 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
15.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Waverly's elementary schools, it stands alongside Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School (681 students): West Cedar Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.2:1 vs 13.4:1).
Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District also operates Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School (737 students) and Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School (681 students) alongside West Cedar 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 West Cedar Elementary School compares
West Cedar 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 30% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.5% | ▼ 63% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 230 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
230
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 30% above state mean
Top 92% in Iowa - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,251
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 230 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District, which includes West Cedar Elementary School.
$12,251
Per student
-5%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.8%
State 51.5%
Federal 8.7%
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 West Cedar Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Margaretta Carey Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Shell Rock Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Greenview Alternative School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Cedar Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 737
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 681
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 237
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 116
- Students per teacher
- 6.8:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 45
- Students per teacher
- 45:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
Similar elementary schools in Waverly
3 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 (~230 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Cedar Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare West Cedar Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Waverly-Shell Rock 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 West Cedar Elementary School
How many students attend West Cedar Elementary School?
West Cedar Elementary School has 230 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waverly, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Cedar Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Cedar Elementary School is 19.2:1, which is 30% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Cedar Elementary School?
13.5% of students at West Cedar Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Cedar Elementary School?
West Cedar Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 West Cedar Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waverly?
By Resource Investment Index, West Cedar Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 elementary schools in Waverly, 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 Waverly on the city page.
Is West Cedar Elementary School a good school?
West Cedar Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District?
Besides West Cedar Elementary School, Waverly-Shell Rock Comm School District also operates Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School (737 students), Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School (681 students), and Margaretta Carey Elementary School (237 students). See the Waverly-Shell Rock 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.