Penn Elementary School

Penn Elementary School is a well-populated elementary-level community in North Liberty, Iowa, overseen by Iowa City Comm School District. The school teaches 512 students in grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Iowa's public schools average about 325 students each, so Penn Elementary School sits 58% bigger than that benchmark.

Within Iowa City Comm School District, which oversees 29 schools and 15,111 students, Penn Elementary School is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, Penn Elementary School logs that the largest single group is White, at 76% of enrollment. Beyond that, the school logs 8% Hispanic, 8% Black, 5% multiracial, 2% Asian. Compared to Johnson County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

On the income-and-resources front, The school reports having 33 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 15.4:1. The state averages around 13.7:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 13% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Johnson County (around 37%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Penn Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 85.3%; this one delivers 81.6%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Johnson County put the typical household earns roughly $74,935 per year, about 55% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Johnson County runs 43 public schools (combined enrollment of about 20,019 students), of which Penn Elementary School is one.

The closest other public school is Buford Garner Elementary, roughly 0.4 miles away. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Penn Elementary School at 2nd of 9; the average score across the group is 76.5%.

Penn Elementary School operates from a suburban location.

Over the past 7-year window. Penn Elementary School's enrollment has declined 24% since 2018, when it stood at 673 (now 512). Black enrollment moved from 13% to 8% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 17.4:1 in 2018 to 15.4:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.