CAL Elementary School

CAL Elementary School operates as a low-enrollment K-5 school in Latimer, Iowa, overseen by CAL Comm School District. Current enrollment sits at 180 students spanning grades pre-K through 6. By comparison, Iowa's public schools average about 325 students each, so CAL Elementary School sits 45% below that benchmark.

Operationally, CAL Elementary School answers to CAL Comm School District, which sets policy, hires staff, and reports enrollment to the state.

In terms of who attends, CAL Elementary School shows that the most-represented group is White (54%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups; the rest is composed of 43% Hispanic, 2% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 84% White, putting the school's mix meaningfully less White than the area baseline.

On the resource side, CAL Elementary School logs 15 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 12.0:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting CAL Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 47% of students at CAL Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

After controlling for student poverty, CAL Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 68.3% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 76.2%.

In the broader community, census data for Franklin County shows median household income runs about $59,894, roughly 19% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 9% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Franklin County's 7 public schools (combined enrollment of about 1,800 students), CAL Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Hampton-Dumont High School, around 8.1 miles off. Within ten miles, there are 4 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. On composite proficiency, CAL Elementary School comes 2nd of 7 in the immediate cluster, higher than the nearby-schools average of 67.2%.

The campus sits in a small-town setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count grew 29%: 140 students in 2018 compared to 180 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 59% to 54% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 14.4:1 in 2018 to 12.0:1 today.

On the community side, members of the CAL Elementary School community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.