Altoona Elementary

Set in Altoona, Iowa, Altoona Elementary is a moderately sized K-5 school, operated by Southeast Polk Comm School District. It serves 429 students across grades pre-K through 5. Compared to the state average of about 325 students per school, that is 32% bigger than typical.

Southeast Polk Comm School District runs 10 schools in total, collectively educating 6,359 students. Altoona Elementary is one of those campuses.

Demographically, Altoona Elementary lists that White students make up the majority at 65%; the rest is composed of 15% Black, 10% Hispanic, 7% multiracial, 2% Asian. By comparison, Polk County as a whole is about 76% White, so the school skews meaningfully less White than its surroundings.

On the resource side, The school employs 35 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 12.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting Altoona Elementary tighter than the state norm the norm. About 53% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Altoona Elementary is in the OUTPERFORMING tier of the BeatsExpectations model, which fits a per-state line through proficiency and FRL share. Schools with this campus's poverty mix typically land near 65.2%; this one delivers 76.9%, a residual of +11.7 points.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Polk County put median household income runs about $83,576, about 40% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. In all, Polk County runs 137 public schools (combined enrollment of about 77,436 students), of which Altoona Elementary is one.

The closest other public school is Centennial Elementary, roughly 0.6 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, Altoona Elementary comes 5th of 8 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 74.3%.

Altoona Elementary operates from a residential location.

Looking at the recent track record. Altoona Elementary's enrollment has ticked down 5% since 2018, when it stood at 451 (now 429). Over the same period, the White share edged down from 78% to 65%. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 14.7:1 in 2018 to 12.3:1 today.

On this page, members of the Altoona Elementary community share and discuss school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.