Enrollment
555
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cedar Rapids, IA
West Willow Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for West Willow Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190654000235
👥 S:T ratio 26
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Willow Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- #12 of 17
- schools in Cedar Rapids · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 32.6%
- free-lunch eligible
West Willow Elementary School has class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Willow Elementary School ranks #12 of 17 schools in Cedar Rapids, IA.
School address
District: Cedar Rapids Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190654000235 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Willow Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Willow Elementary School
West Willow Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, enrolling 555 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.5:1 is larger than about 91% of Iowa schools and 25% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 32.6% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 555 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 290 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #254, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and African American (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 566 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Cedar Rapids's public schools, it stands alongside Prairie Point (868 students): West Willow Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.5:1 vs 11.4:1).
Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students) and Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students) alongside West Willow 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 Willow Elementary School compares
West Willow 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 | 18.5:1 | ▲ 25% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.6% | ▼ 10% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 555 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.5:1
Leaner classes than 22% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
555
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
18.5:1
students per teacher
- 25% 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
19.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,962
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
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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.
Student demographics
White 54.8%
African American 26.3%
Two or More 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 54.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.6, West Willow 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 Cedar Rapids Comm School District, which includes West Willow Elementary School.
$13,962
Per student
+9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.7%
State 48.5%
Federal 13.9%
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 West Willow Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John F Kennedy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thomas Jefferson High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George Washington High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harding Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Taft Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Willow Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,501
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,182
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 710
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 593
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Cedar Rapids
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Prairie Point
Standard public school
868 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Viola Gibson Elementary School
Standard public school
565 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Maple Grove Elementary
Standard public school
539 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
Prairie Hill Elementary School
Standard public school
466 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Prairie Ridge Elementary
Standard public school
438 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Prairie Crest Elementary
Standard public school
434 students 15:1 students per teacher
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 (~555 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Willow Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare West Willow Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cedar Rapids 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 Willow Elementary School
How many students attend West Willow Elementary School?
West Willow Elementary School has 555 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cedar Rapids, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Willow Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Willow Elementary School is 18.5:1, which is 25% 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 West Willow Elementary School?
32.6% of students at West Willow Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Willow Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Willow Elementary School is White at 54.8% of enrollment, in Cedar Rapids, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Willow Elementary School?
West Willow Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Willow Elementary School rank among schools in Cedar Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, West Willow Elementary School ranks #12 of 17 schools in Cedar Rapids, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cedar Rapids on the city page.
Is West Willow Elementary School a good school?
West Willow Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Cedar Rapids Comm School District?
Besides West Willow Elementary School, Cedar Rapids Comm School District also operates John F Kennedy High School (1,648 students), Thomas Jefferson High School (1,501 students), and George Washington High School (1,182 students). See the Cedar Rapids 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.