East Marshall Elementary School

Set in Laurel, Iowa, East Marshall Elementary School is a compact elementary-level community, operated by East Marshall Comm School District. It hosts 242 students across grades pre-K through 5. That puts it 26% leaner than the typical public school in Iowa, which averages around 325 students.

Within East Marshall Comm School District, which oversees 3 schools and 616 students, East Marshall Elementary School is one campus in the system.

Demographically, East Marshall Elementary School logs that nearly all students (86%) are White. The remainder breaks down as 11% Hispanic. By comparison, Marshall County as a whole is about 71% White, so the school skews considerably more White than its surroundings.

Looking at school resources, On paper, East Marshall Elementary School has 20 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.1:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting East Marshall Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. An estimated 45% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is south of Marshall County's rate of about 65%.

After controlling for student poverty, East Marshall Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 69.2% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 67.9%.

In the area at large, census data for Marshall County shows median household earnings sit near $73,315, 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. Across Marshall County's 17 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,903 students), East Marshall Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: East Marshall Middle School, around 7.0 miles off. Within ten miles, there are 3 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), East Marshall Elementary School ranks 4th on composite proficiency, above the local average of 64.9%.

Geographically, the school is in a low-density area.

Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at East Marshall Elementary School has edged down 11%, going from 273 students in 2018 to 242 in 2025. The Hispanic share of enrollment ticked up from 3% to 11% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio pulled in from 14.3:1 in 2018 to 12.1:1 today.

On allk12, members of the East Marshall Elementary School community share and discuss classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.