Enrollment
360
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Independence, IA
West Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for West Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 191458000869
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Iowa schools.
- #1 of 3
- elementary schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.6:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 34.6%
- free-lunch eligible
West Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 90% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Independence, IA.
School address
District: Independence Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191458000869 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elementary School
West Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Independence, Iowa, enrolling 360 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.6:1, West Elementary School is leaner than roughly 90% of Iowa schools and 28% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.6% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 360 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 450 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #83.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 20/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 360 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Independence's elementary schools, it stands alongside East Elementary School (265 students): West Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.6:1 vs 11:1).
Independence Comm School District also operates Independence Junior Senior High School (712 students) and East Elementary School (265 students) alongside West 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 Elementary School compares
West 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 | 10.6:1 | ▼ 28% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.6% | ▼ 5% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 360 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
360
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.6:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 10% in Iowa - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
13.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,829
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 360 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
21
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.2 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 88.9%
Two or More 5.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
African American 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 88.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.4, West 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 Independence Comm School District, which includes West Elementary School.
$11,829
Per student
-8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.9%
State 50.7%
Federal 11.4%
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 West Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Junior Senior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 46
- Students per teacher
- 46:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar elementary schools in Independence
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 (~360 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare West Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Independence 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 School
How many students attend West Elementary School?
West Elementary School has 360 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Independence, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elementary School is 10.6:1, which is 28% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 32% 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 West Elementary School?
34.6% of students at West Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Elementary School is White at 88.9% of enrollment, in Independence, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elementary School?
West Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 School rank among elementary schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 elementary schools in Independence, 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 Independence on the city page.
Is West Elementary School a good school?
West Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% 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 Independence Comm School District?
Besides West Elementary School, Independence Comm School District also operates Independence Junior Senior High School (712 students), East Elementary School (265 students), and Early Childhood Center (46 students). See the Independence 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.