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What's something North Polk Central Elementary School does better than most schools?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
408
Elementary
DISTRICT 387 · STATE 325
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·NORTH POLK COMM SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 192091001923
North Polk Central Elementary School
311 NE 141st Ave, Alleman, IA 50007 · (515) 984-3400 · Polk County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY41-RURALREGULAR SCHOOL408 STUDENTS
B-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 47% of Iowa public elementary schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- DBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Iowa public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
15.2:1
27 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.0:1 · STATE 13.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
10%
39 students
DISTRICT 9% · STATE 41%
Community
4
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 34 | 8% |
| Kindergarten | 73 | 18% |
| Grade 1 | 66 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 50 | 12% |
| Grade 3 | 68 | 17% |
| Grade 4 | 64 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 53 | 13% |
This year's kindergarten class (73) is 38% larger than its 5th grade class (53).
Student demographics
20%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 15% · STATE 48% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Based on grade levels within North Polk Comm School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
ISASP 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
83.2%
IA avg 73.6% . +7.9pp since 2023
Math
85.9%
IA avg 70.9% . +1.3pp since 2023
What this means: On the ISASP, Iowa's statewide test, about 83 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 86 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Iowa schools, those numbers are about 74 and 71. Reading and writing scores are up about 8 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 1 points.
ISASP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 83.2% | 85.9% |
| 2023-24 | 75.3% | 84.6% |
% Proficient, all students and all tested grades.
Source: ISASP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
79.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
87.2%
based on IA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-8.0pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 79% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 87% typical for Iowa schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Iowa's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like North Polk Central Elementary School
North Polk Central Elementary School's state test result (79.1% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 3 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Polk Central Elementary School this school | 408 | 9.6% | 79.1% |
| Peosta Elementary School Peosta | 425 | 11.1% | 80.2% |
| Big Creek Elementary Polk City | 357 | 9.8% | 83.3% |
| North Polk West Elementary School Polk City | 396 | 7.3% | N/A |
| North Ridge Elementary Grimes | 412 | 13.3% | N/A |
| Lisbon Elementary School Lisbon | 461 | 12.6% | 78.5% |
Matched among Iowa elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where North Polk Central Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Iowa | In Polk County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 79.1% | #149 of 564 | #17 of 78 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 85.9% | #103 of 564 ▲ 9 | #8 of 78 ▲ 4 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 83.2% | #93 of 564 ▲ 101 | #11 of 78 ▲ 15 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 408 | #210 of 705 | #50 of 89 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.2:1 | #467 of 561 | #67 of 86 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 20.1% | #421 of 561 | #83 of 86 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 9.6% | #651 of 666 | #86 of 89 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +3.8% | #128 of 168 | #11 of 16 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
408
+20 (+5%) vs 2020
+50% since 1990-91, when it was 272
Student : Teacher
15.2:1
was 14.4:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 408 | 26.8 | 15.2:1 | 10% (39) |
| 2023-24 | 379 | 26.8 | 14.1:1 | 11% (41) |
| 2022-23 | 342 | 23.7 | 14.4:1 | 11% (37) |
| 2020-21 | 388 | 27 | 14.4:1 | 13% (52) |
| 2017-18 | 393 | 27.6 | 14.2:1 | 15% (60) |
| 2015-16 | 376 | 20 | 18.8:1 | 14% (54) |
| 2010-11 | 366 | 25 | 14.6:1 | 14% (51) |
| 2000-01 | 265 | 15 | 17.7:1 | 6% (16) |
| 1990-91 | 272 | 16 | 17.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for North Polk Central Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students up 4% (393 to 408); teachers down 3% (27.6 to 26.8).
About North Polk Central Elementary School
North Polk Central Elementary School is an elementary school located in Alleman, Iowa, in Polk County. Students in pre-K through 5 attend, and enrollment is 408 students. The typical figure for elementary schools in Iowa is about 325 students.
North Polk Comm School District has 5 schools and 2,309 students, and North Polk Central Elementary School is one of those schools.
White students are the large majority at North Polk Central Elementary School, with 89% of enrollment. Other groups include 4% Black, 3% multiracial, and 3% Hispanic. By comparison, Polk County residents are about 76% White. By the diversity index, North Polk Central Elementary School comes in at 20%.
Staffing totals 26.8 full-time-equivalent teachers, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 15.2:1. That ratio is over the 13.7:1 average for elementary schools in Iowa. The free or reduced-price lunch rate at North Polk Central Elementary School is 10%. Compared with the 49% average for public schools in Polk County, the school's rate is lower.
Measured against Iowa public elementary schools, North Polk Central Elementary School receives a B-. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Based on its free or reduced-price lunch share, the BeatsExpectations model predicts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 87.2% for North Polk Central Elementary School. The school posts 79.1%, 8.0 points below the prediction.
Within Polk County, median household income is about $83,576, 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 7% of people live in poverty. The public schools of Polk County number 137 and enroll about 77,436.
The shortest distance from North Polk Central Elementary School to another public school is about 0.1 miles, to North Polk Middle School. The five-mile area around North Polk Central Elementary School holds 5 other public schools. The school's 79.1% average proficiency ranks 8th among 9 nearby schools.
NCES lists the school's locale as Rural: Fringe. That means it sits in rural territory close to an urban area.
North Polk Central Elementary School saw enrollment rise 5% between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
Parents and students can post about enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news at North Polk Central Elementary School. Questions from prospective families are welcome too.
Polk County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
503,175
Census ACS
Median income
$83,576
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
40%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
137
77,436 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in North Polk Comm School District
- North Polk High SchoolHigh · 644 students
- North Polk Middle SchoolMiddle · 504 students
- North Polk West Elementary SchoolElementary · 396 students
- Big Creek ElementaryElementary · 357 students
Other schools in Alleman
- North Polk High SchoolHigh · 644 students
- North Polk Middle SchoolMiddle · 504 students
Nearby schools
- North Polk Middle School0.1 mi · 504
- North Polk High School0.1 mi · 644
- Rock Creek Elementary3.8 mi · 639
- Ashland Ridge Elementary4.4 mi · 548
- Ankeny Centennial High School4.6 mi · 1,470
- Northeast Elementary5.1 mi · 595
Frequently asked questions
About North Polk Central Elementary SchoolHow many students attend North Polk Central Elementary School?
North Polk Central Elementary School enrolls approximately 408 students in grades PK-05.
What grades does North Polk Central Elementary School serve?
North Polk Central Elementary School serves grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Polk Central Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at North Polk Central Elementary School is approximately 15.2:1 (27 FTE teachers).
How diverse is North Polk Central Elementary School?
North Polk Central Elementary School reports a student body of 89% White, 3% Hispanic, 4% Black, 1% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees North Polk Central Elementary School?
North Polk Central Elementary School is overseen by North Polk Comm School District in Polk County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.