Enrollment
485
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Knoxville, IA
West Elementary
Federal NCES profile for West Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191584002114
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 52
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Knoxville · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 41.3%
- free-lunch eligible
West Elementary has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Knoxville, IA.
School address
District: Knoxville Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191584002114 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elementary compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elementary
West Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Knoxville, Iowa, enrolling 485 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 41.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 485 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 328 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #321, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 511 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Knoxville Comm School District also operates Knoxville High School (508 students) and Northstar Elementary School (348 students) alongside West 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 West Elementary compares
West 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 | 15.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.3% | ▲ 13% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 485 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
485
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 68% in Iowa - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,576
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
5
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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.
Student demographics
White 89.5%
Two or More 5.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%
African American 1.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 89.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 19.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 19.5, West Elementary is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Knoxville Comm School District, which includes West Elementary.
$12,576
Per student
-2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.5%
State 54.7%
Federal 10.8%
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 Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northstar Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Knoxville Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 508
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 348
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
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 (~485 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elementary's federal record.
- Compare West Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Knoxville 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 Elementary
How many students attend West Elementary?
West Elementary has 485 students enrolled. It is a public school in Knoxville, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elementary is 15.2:1, which is 3% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Elementary?
41.3% of students at West Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elementary?
The largest demographic group at West Elementary is White at 89.5% of enrollment, in Knoxville, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elementary?
West Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Elementary rank among public schools in Knoxville?
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Knoxville, 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 Knoxville on the city page.
Is West Elementary a good school?
West Elementary earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Knoxville Comm School District?
Besides West Elementary, Knoxville Comm School District also operates Knoxville High School (508 students), Northstar Elementary School (348 students), and Knoxville Middle School (323 students). See the Knoxville 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.