West Marshall Elementary School

West Marshall Elementary School, a medium-sized elementary campus in State Center, Iowa, run under West Marshall Comm School District, educates 412 students, covering grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Iowa's public schools average about 325 students each, so West Marshall Elementary School sits 27% above that benchmark.

Across the 3 schools in West Marshall Comm School District (917 students total), West Marshall Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

On demographics, West Marshall Elementary School records that nearly all students (90%) are White. Other groups include 6% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. That is noticeably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 71%.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, West Marshall Elementary School has 29 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 14.3:1. That tracks the state average closely. Around 33% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. That share is south of Marshall County's rate of about 65%.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, West Marshall Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 75.3%; this one delivers 76.8%.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Marshall County put the typical household earns roughly $73,315 per year, about 23% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. In all, Marshall County runs 17 public schools (combined enrollment of about 6,903 students), of which West Marshall Elementary School is one.

The closest other public school is West Marshall High School, roughly 0.4 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 2 other public schools cluster around West Marshall Elementary School. On composite proficiency, West Marshall Elementary School comes 4th of 9 in the immediate cluster, ahead of the nearby-schools average of 72.1%.

Geographically, the school is in a countryside area.

Looking at the recent track record. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at West Marshall Elementary School has edged down 20%, going from 513 students in 2018 to 412 in 2025.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.