Enrollment
456
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Indianola, IA
Wilder Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Wilder Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 191464002100
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wilder Elementary School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Indianola · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.7:1
- students per teacher
- 36.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Wilder Elementary School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wilder Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Indianola, IA.
School address
District: Indianola Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191464002100 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.7:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilder Elementary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wilder Elementary School
Wilder Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Indianola, Iowa, enrolling 456 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 36.9% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 456 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 370 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #309, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 456 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Indianola's elementary schools, it stands alongside Emerson Elementary School (396 students): Wilder Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.7:1 vs 12:1).
Indianola Comm School District also operates Indianola High School (1,165 students) and Indianola Middle School (818 students) alongside Wilder 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 Wilder Elementary School compares
Wilder 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 | 14.7:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.9% | ▲ 1% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.7:1
Leaner classes than 50% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
456
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.7:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 61% in Iowa - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,417
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 456 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.9 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 88.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.8%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 88.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 21.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 21.6, Wilder 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 Indianola Comm School District, which includes Wilder Elementary School.
$11,417
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 52.4%
Federal 7.9%
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 Wilder Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianola High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Indianola Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Emerson Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Irving Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whittier Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wilder Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 395
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 369
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar elementary schools in Indianola
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 (~456 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wilder Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Wilder Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Indianola 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 Wilder Elementary School
How many students attend Wilder Elementary School?
Wilder Elementary School has 456 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Indianola, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilder Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilder Elementary School is 14.7:1, which is 1% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 6% 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 Wilder Elementary School?
36.9% of students at Wilder Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilder Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Wilder Elementary School is White at 88.2% of enrollment, in Indianola, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilder Elementary School?
Wilder Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Wilder Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Indianola?
By Resource Investment Index, Wilder Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Indianola, 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 Indianola on the city page.
Is Wilder Elementary School a good school?
Wilder Elementary School earns 39/100 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 Indianola Comm School District?
Besides Wilder Elementary School, Indianola Comm School District also operates Indianola High School (1,165 students), Indianola Middle School (818 students), and Emerson Elementary School (396 students). See the Indianola 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.