Stratford Elementary

Stratford Elementary, a minimally staffed K-5 school in Stratford, Iowa, one of the schools within Stratford Comm School District, educates 74 students, covering grades pre-K through 6. Compared to the state average of about 325 students per school, that is 77% smaller than typical.

Stratford Elementary sits inside Stratford Comm School District, the local public-school operator responsible for the campus.

Demographically, Stratford Elementary logs that nearly all students (88%) are White; the rest breaks down as 9% Hispanic. That composition is broadly in line with Hamilton County as a whole.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school lists 7 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 10.0:1. The state averages around 13.7:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. An estimated 39% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

Zooming out to the county, the surrounding county (Hamilton County) logs that median household earnings sit near $72,432, roughly 23% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Stratford Elementary is one of 8 public schools in Hamilton County (combined enrollment of about 2,432 students).

Nearest neighbor: Dayton Center, around 7.4 miles off.

The school occupies an outlying site.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count decreased 10%: 82 students in 2018 compared to 74 in 2025. Over the same period, the Hispanic share increased from 5% to 9%. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 8.6:1 in 2018 to 10.0:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.