West Elementary School

West Elementary School is one of the middle-of-the-pack K-5 schools in Independence, Iowa, part of Independence Comm School District, with 360 students on its rolls from grades 3 through 6.

Independence Comm School District runs 4 schools in total, collectively educating 1,383 students. West Elementary School is one of those campuses.

On demographics, West Elementary School lists that nearly all students (89%) are White. The remainder is composed of 6% multiracial, 5% Hispanic.

On the resource side, West Elementary School logs 32 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.3:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 13.7:1, putting West Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. Roughly 39% of students at West Elementary School qualify 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 above typical.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), West Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 72.2% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 71.3%.

Across the wider county, community-level numbers for Buchanan County indicate the typical household earns roughly $78,236 per year, 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 6% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Buchanan County runs 18 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,231 students), of which West Elementary School is one.

East Elementary School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.1 miles from this campus. Counting just inside five miles, 3 other public schools cluster around West Elementary School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts West Elementary School at 4th of 5; the average score across the group is 78.7%.

The campus sits in a town-center setting.

Looking at the recent track record. West Elementary School's enrollment has contracted 12% since 2018, when it stood at 407 (now 360). Over the same period, the White share fell from 95% to 89%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 13.2:1 in 2018 to 11.3:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, members of the West Elementary School community share and discuss sports schedules, lunch menu changes, and school spirit week. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.