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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at South Tama County Elementary School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
534
Elementary
DISTRICT 456 · STATE 325
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SOUTH TAMA COUNTY·NCES 192673001463
South Tama County Elementary School
1611 Country Club Dr, Tama, IA 52339 · (641) 484-3999 · Tama County
GRADES PK–04ELEMENTARY32-TOWNTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL534 STUDENTS
B
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 63% of Iowa public elementary schools
- C+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- ABeats 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
14.2:1
38 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.0:1 · STATE 13.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
61%
325 students
DISTRICT 60% · STATE 41%
Community
5
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 | 75 | 14% |
| Kindergarten | 79 | 15% |
| Grade 1 | 86 | 16% |
| Grade 2 | 80 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 104 | 19% |
| Grade 4 | 110 | 21% |
This year's kindergarten class (79) is 28% smaller than its 4th grade class (110).
Student demographics
63%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 63% · 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 South Tama County. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
ISASP 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
66.7%
IA avg 73.6% . -0.7pp since 2023
Math
71.6%
IA avg 70.9% . -4.1pp since 2023
What this means: On the ISASP, Iowa's statewide test, about 67 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 72 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Iowa schools, those numbers are about 74 and 71. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2023, while math scores are down about 4 points.
ISASP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 66.7% | 71.6% |
| 2023-24 | 67.4% | 75.7% |
% 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
70.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
61.5%
based on IA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+8.9pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 70% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 62% 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 South Tama County Elementary School
South Tama County Elementary School's state test result (70.5% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Tama County Elementary School this school | 534 | 60.9% | 70.5% |
| Clarke Community Elementary School Osceola | 652 | 60.1% | 51.1% |
| Eagle Grove Elementary Eagle Grove | 435 | 59.8% | 62.2% |
| Clarion-Goldfield-Dows Elementary School Clarion | 469 | 56.9% | 65.5% |
| Richard O. Jacobson Elementary School Belmond | 362 | 57.7% | 49.5% |
| Demoney Elementary Estherville | 460 | 55.2% | 59.4% |
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 South Tama County Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 70.5% | #322 of 564 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 71.6% | #362 of 564 ▼ 66 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 66.7% | #385 of 564 ▼ 44 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 534 | #83 of 705 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.2:1 | #359 of 561 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 63.2% | #113 of 561 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 60.9% | #117 of 666 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -13.7% | #169 of 359 |
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
534
-81 (-13%) vs 2020
-31% since 2010-11, when it was 770
Student : Teacher
14.2:1
was 14.3:1
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 | 534 | 37.8 | 14.2:1 | 61% (325) |
| 2023-24 | 543 | 39 | 13.9:1 | 62% (336) |
| 2022-23 | 593 | 40.7 | 14.6:1 | 64% (380) |
| 2020-21 | 615 | 43 | 14.3:1 | 65% (398) |
| 2017-18 | 619 | 46.5 | 13.3:1 | 65% (402) |
| 2015-16 | 653 | 47 | 13.9:1 | 64% (420) |
| 2010-11 | 770 | 50 | 15.4:1 | 46% (354) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for South Tama County Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 14% (619 to 534); teachers down 19% (46.5 to 37.8).
About South Tama County Elementary School
At 1611 Country Club Dr in Tama, Iowa, South Tama County Elementary School operates as a large elementary school. A total of 534 students attend the school, which covers pre-K through 4. The average for elementary schools in Iowa is about 325 students, so this school is 64% larger than average.
South Tama County Elementary School is among 3 schools run by South Tama County, which serves 1,368 students.
By race and ethnicity, the largest group at South Tama County Elementary School is White (44%). Other groups make up 40% Hispanic, 8% Native American, and 5% multiracial. Tama County as a whole is about 80% White, so the school's share is lower. The chance that two students picked at random at South Tama County Elementary School belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 63%.
Teachers at South Tama County Elementary School total 37.8 full-time equivalents, and the ratio is 14.2:1. Elementary schools in Iowa have a similar average ratio of 13.7:1. The school counts 325 students as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, or 61%.
allk12 grades South Tama County Elementary School a B. The grade compares the school only with Iowa public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
Test results at South Tama County Elementary School are 8.9 points above what its free or reduced-price lunch share predicts (70.5% actual, 61.5% predicted).
According to the American Community Survey, in Tama County, median household income is about $70,781, roughly 21% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. South Tama County Elementary School is one of 10 public schools in Tama County, which together enroll about 2,770 students.
The nearest other public school, South Tama County High School, is about 0.2 miles away. The count of other public schools within five miles is 3. Ranked by average proficiency, South Tama County Elementary School places 3rd out of 6 schools in its immediate area.
The school's federal locale classification is Town: Distant.
The student count in 2024-25 was 534, 13% below the 615 of 2020-21.
Discussion on this page can cover school safety, transportation, and start times. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Tama County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
16,868
Census ACS
Median income
$70,781
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
21%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
11%
Below federal line
Schools in county
10
2,770 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in South Tama County
- South Tama County High SchoolHigh · 421 students
- South Tama County Middle SchoolMiddle · 413 students
Other schools in Tama
- South Tama County High SchoolHigh · 421 students
- Meskwaki Settlement SchoolCombined · 294 students
Nearby schools
- South Tama County High School0.2 mi · 421
- South Tama County Middle School1.4 mi · 413
- Meskwaki Settlement School3.3 mi · 294
- GMG Secondary School9.4 mi · 205
- East Marshall Senior High School10.1 mi · 217
- East Marshall Middle School12.1 mi · 157
Frequently asked questions
About South Tama County Elementary SchoolHow large is South Tama County Elementary School?
South Tama County Elementary School enrolls approximately 534 students in grades PK-04.
Is South Tama County Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
South Tama County Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-04.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Tama County Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at South Tama County Elementary School is approximately 14.2:1 (38 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at South Tama County Elementary School?
At South Tama County Elementary School, the student body is approximately 44% White, 40% Hispanic, 1% Black, 2% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Is South Tama County Elementary School public or private?
South Tama County Elementary School is a public K-12 school, overseen by South Tama County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.