Rural Elementary School #1

Rural Elementary School #1 operates as a tiny K-5 school in Fairbank, Iowa, run under Wapsie Valley Comm School District. Current enrollment sits at 29 students spanning grades K through 8. By comparison, Iowa's public schools average about 325 students each, so Rural Elementary School #1 sits 91% below that benchmark.

Wapsie Valley Comm School District runs 6 schools in total, collectively educating 637 students. Rural Elementary School #1 is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, Rural Elementary School #1 records that nearly all students (100%) are White. Compared to Buchanan County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school reports having 2 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 14.4:1. That tracks the state average closely. About 10% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Buchanan County (around 29%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

In the surrounding community, ACS estimates for Buchanan County put the typical household earns roughly $78,236 per year, 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 6%. Rural Elementary School #1 is one of 18 public schools in Buchanan County (combined enrollment of about 3,231 students).

Nearest neighbor: Rural Elementary School #2, around 1.0 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 6 other public schools cluster around Rural Elementary School #1.

Rural Elementary School #1 operates from an outlying location.

Over the past 7-year window. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Rural Elementary School #1 has expanded 12%, going from 26 students in 2018 to 29 in 2025. Class-load math has widened: from 13.0:1 in 2018 to 14.4:1 in 2025.

On the community side, recent activity here tends to focus on school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.