Enrollment
360
Elementary
DISTRICT 224 · STATE 325
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·INDEPENDENCE COMM SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 191458000869
West Elementary School
1301 1st St W, Independence, IA 50644 · (319) 334-7430 · Buchanan County
GRADES 03–06ELEMENTARY32-TOWNREGULAR SCHOOL360 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.3:1
32 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 15.9:1 · STATE 13.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
39%
142 students
DISTRICT 37% · STATE 41%
Community
0
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 85 | 24% |
| Grade 4 | 108 | 30% |
| Grade 5 | 76 | 21% |
| Grade 6 | 91 | 25% |
Student demographics
20%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 18% · 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
West Elementary School→Independence Junior Senior High School
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Independence Comm School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
ISASP 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
72.2%
IA avg 73.6% . +1.9pp since 2023
Math
70.5%
IA avg 70.9% . -6.4pp since 2023
What this means: On the ISASP, Iowa's statewide test, about 72 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 71 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 2 points since 2023, while math scores are down about 6 points.
ISASP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 72.2% | 70.5% |
| 2023-24 | 70.3% | 76.9% |
% 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
71.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
72.2%
based on IA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-0.9pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 71% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 72% 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 West Elementary School
West Elementary School's state test result (71.3% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Elementary School this school | 360 | 39.4% | 71.3% |
| Camanche Elementary Camanche | 358 | 40.5% | 63.0% |
| South O'Brien Elem School - Primghar Center Primghar | 328 | 38.1% | 73.4% |
| Strawberry Hill Anamosa | 400 | 41.3% | 74.1% |
| Table Mound Elementary School Dubuque | 425 | 39.5% | 63.9% |
| Ledges Elementary School Boone | 336 | 40.8% | N/A |
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 West Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Iowa | In Buchanan County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 71.3% | #306 of 564 | N/A |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 70.5% | #375 of 564 ▼ 107 | N/A |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 72.2% | #292 of 564 ▼ 11 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 360 | #275 of 705 | #2 of 12 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 11.3:1 | #53 of 561 | N/A |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 20.4% | #415 of 561 | N/A |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 39.4% | #373 of 666 | N/A |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -11.5% | #206 of 359 | N/A |
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
360
-22 (-6%) vs 2020
+11% since 1990-91, when it was 325
Student : Teacher
11.3:1
was 13.6:1
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 | 360 | 31.9 | 11.3:1 | 39% (142) |
| 2023-24 | 371 | 34 | 10.9:1 | 44% (162) |
| 2022-23 | 381 | 34.2 | 11.1:1 | 40% (153) |
| 2020-21 | 382 | 28 | 13.6:1 | 47% (179) |
| 2017-18 | 407 | 31 | 13.2:1 | 40% (164) |
| 2015-16 | 392 | 28 | 14.0:1 | 31% (121) |
| 2010-11 | 392 | 29 | 13.5:1 | 40% (157) |
| 2000-01 | 316 | 21 | 15.1:1 | 32% (101) |
| 1990-91 | 325 | 19 | 17.1:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 12% (407 to 360); teachers up 3% (31 to 31.9).
About West Elementary School
West Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school with an address in Independence, Iowa. It reported 360 students in grades 3 through 6 in 2024-25.
Independence Comm School District oversees West Elementary School and 3 other schools, with 1,383 students in total.
West Elementary School is 89% White by enrollment. The next largest groups are 6% multiracial and 5% Hispanic. On the diversity index, which measures the chance that two random students are from different groups, West Elementary School scores 20%.
Staffing at West Elementary School comes to 31.9 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 11.3:1. Elementary schools in Iowa average 13.7:1, 2.5 more students per teacher than here. West Elementary School counts 39% of students as eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. On average, public schools in Buchanan County report 29%.
Compared with Iowa schools that have similar shares of low-income students, West Elementary School's results are within a point of predicted: 71.3% against 72.2%.
In the surrounding county, Buchanan County, median household income comes to about $78,236, about 22% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and the poverty rate is about 6%. The county's public schools total 18, with about 3,231 students.
East Elementary School sits about 0.1 miles from West Elementary School. There are 3 other public schools within five miles. On state test proficiency, West Elementary School ranks 4th in a group of 5 nearby schools.
Under the NCES locale system, West Elementary School is Town: Distant.
Enrollment fell by 6% across 4 years, from 382 in 2020-21 to 360 in 2024-25. The student-to-teacher ratio dropped from 13.6:1 in 2020-21 to 11.3:1 in 2024-25.
You can use this page to share news and ask questions about fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. You can also rate the school on this page.
Buchanan County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
20,694
Census ACS
Median income
$78,236
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
22%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
18
3,231 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Independence Comm School District
- Independence Junior Senior High SchoolHigh · 712 students
- East Elementary SchoolElementary · 265 students
- Early Childhood CenterElementary · 46 students
Other schools in Independence
- Independence Junior Senior High SchoolHigh · 712 students
- East Elementary SchoolElementary · 265 students
- Early Childhood CenterElementary · 46 students
- Perry #1 Elementary SchoolElementary · 29 students
Other West Elementary schools
50 other US public schools in 25 states are named West Elementary. West Elementary School is the 26th largest of the 51.
- West ElementaryKnoxville, IA · 485 students
- West Elementary SchoolGlenwood, IA · 440 students
- West Elementary SchoolEmmetsburg, IA · 293 students
- West ElementaryMt Juliet, TN · 849 students
- West ElementaryBixby, OK · 757 students
Nearby schools
- East Elementary School0.1 mi · 265
- Early Childhood Center0.2 mi · 46
- Independence Junior Senior High School0.5 mi · 712
- Perry #1 Elementary School6.0 mi · 29
- Jesup Elementary School8.0 mi · 412
- Jesup Middle School8.0 mi · 249
Frequently asked questions
About West Elementary SchoolHow many students attend West Elementary School?
West Elementary School enrolls approximately 360 students in grades 03-06.
Is West Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
West Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades 03-06.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at West Elementary School is approximately 11.3:1 (32 FTE teachers).
How diverse is West Elementary School?
West Elementary School reports a student body of 89% White, 5% Hispanic, 0% Black, 6% Two or more.
What district is West Elementary School in?
West Elementary School is part of Independence Comm School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.