Alta Elementary School

Summary:

Alta Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-4 in the Alta-Aurelia Community School District in Alta, Iowa, with a student population of 237 as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Alta Elementary consistently outperforms the state average on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, with 90.2% of 3rd graders and 92.3% of 4th graders proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 64.2% and 72.9% respectively. In Mathematics, 85.7% of 3rd graders and 87.2% of 4th graders were proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 76.3% and 72.7%. The school has seen a significant improvement in its statewide ranking, moving from the bottom 20% of Iowa elementary schools in 2015-2016 to the top 5% in 2023-2024, where it ranked 29th out of 557 schools. Additionally, Alta Elementary maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 12.9 to 13.9 students per teacher over the past three school years, which is lower than the nearby schools.

When compared to the nearby schools, such as Albert City-Truesdale Elementary School, Galva-Holstein Elementary School, and Newell-Fonda Elementary, Alta Elementary consistently outperforms them on the ISASP assessments, particularly in the 3rd and 4th grade ELA and Mathematics proficiency rates. This suggests that Alta Elementary is providing a high-quality education to its students. The nearby Storm Lake schools, which serve a more diverse student population with higher rates of free and reduced-price lunch, perform significantly lower on the ISASP assessments compared to Alta Elementary and the other nearby schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

1009 Main St
Alta, IA 51002

(712) 200-1400

District: Alta-Aurelia Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
29^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,449

Students who attend Alta Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Alta-Aurelia Middle School
High:	Alta-Aurelia High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 267

Racial breakdown:

White:

67.0%

Hispanic:

20.6%

Pacific Islander:

7.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Alta Elementary School ranks better than 94.8% of elementary schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 86.23. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (67%), Hispanic (20.6%), Pacific Islander (7.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Alta Elementary School is 14.2. (See more...)

Compare Alta Elementary School employs 18.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Alta Elementary School is $13,449.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Alta Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Alta-Aurelia Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Alta-Aurelia Community School District 97^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Alta Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	29.24	526^th	626	16.0%
2013	27.16	535^th	624	14.3%
2014	32.71	481^st	603	20.2%
2015	32.86	485^th	616	21.3%
2016	23.32	505^th	599	15.7%
2017	22.17	486^th	574	15.3%
2018	40.36	393^rd	567	30.7%
2019	42.05	390^th	603	35.3%
2021	57.42	261^st	567	54.0%
2022	64.34	214^th	574	62.7%
2024	86.23	29^th	557	94.8%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Alta Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	285	3	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	289
1989	274	0	8	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	282
1990	294	1	12	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
1991	314	0	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	318
1992	333	4	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	342
1993	235	0	2	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	238
1994	237	0	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	241
1995	231	6	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	252
1996	231	6	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	252
1997	209	10	0	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	232
1998	209	8	1	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	235
1999	90	1	1	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	97
2000	205	4	2	30	0	n/a	n/a	-17	224
2001	171	7	2	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	219
2002	157	3	1	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	200
2003	157	3	1	39	0	n/a	n/a	0	200
2004	168	4	2	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	205
2005	157	2	1	34	0	n/a	n/a	0	194
2006	155	1	1	41	0	n/a	n/a	0	198
2007	156	1	6	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	205
2008	179	5	3	46	0	n/a	n/a	0	233
2009	170	2	2	50	0	n/a	n/a	0	224
2010	166	3	0	58	0	0	1	0	228
2011	187	1	1	55	0	0	0	0	244
2012	235	3	0	70	0	0	0	0	308
2013	236	5	0	71	0	1	1	0	314
2014	234	5	0	77	0	0	1	0	317
2015	248	4	2	77	0	0	5	0	336
2016	255	9	3	69	0	0	3	0	339
2017	219	7	0	59	0	0	4	0	289
2018	217	4	2	73	1	0	6	0	303
2019	208	4	4	82	0	3	8	0	309
2020	209	4	3	76	0	10	9	0	311
2021	203	4	2	65	0	11	11	0	296
2022	206	3	4	72	0	15	6	0	306
2023	156	2	1	61	0	14	3	0	237
2024	179	7	2	55	0	19	5	0	267

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Alta Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	289	19.8	14.5	25.6
1989	282	18.8	15.0	27
1990	307	18.8	16.3	22.8
1991	318	19.8	16.0	23.6
1992	342	20.0	17.1	20.5
1993	238	14.5	16.4	14.3
1994	241	14.4	16.7	25.3
1995	252	13.6	18.5	23
1996	252	13.6	18.5	23
1997	232	14.4	16.1	25
1998	235	14.3	16.4	29.4
1999	97	6.0	16.2	35.1
2000	224	16.0	14.0	26.1
2001	219	11.5	19.0	37
2002	200	11.0	18.2	43
2003	200	11.0	18.2	43
2004	205	11.5	17.8	41.5
2005	194	15.0	12.9	47.4
2006	198	14.6	13.6	49
2007	205	14.6	14.0	50.7
2008	233	16.6	14.0	48.1
2009	224	14.6	15.3	45.5
2010	228	17.3	13.1	47.4
2011	244	18.0	13.5	51.2
2012	308	16.1	19.0	48.4
2013	314	17.4	18.0	52.2
2014	317	19.3	16.4	54.3
2015	336	21.0	16.0	56
2016	339	21.0	16.1	57.5
2017	289	19.2	15.0	51.2
2018	303	21.1	14.3	51.5
2019	309	22.3	13.8	53.4
2020	311	21.9	14.1	51.1
2021	296	22.7	12.9	50
2022	306	21.9	13.9	40.5
2023	237	17.0	13.8	41.4
2024	267	18.7	14.2	38.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Alta Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	289	19.8	14.5	25.6
1989	282	18.8	15.0	27
1990	307	18.8	16.3	22.8
1991	318	19.8	16.0	23.6
1992	342	20.0	17.1	20.5
1993	238	14.5	16.4	14.3
1994	241	14.4	16.7	25.3
1995	252	13.6	18.5	23
1996	252	13.6	18.5	23
1997	232	14.4	16.1	25
1998	235	14.3	16.4	29.4
1999	97	6.0	16.2	35.1
2000	224	16.0	14.0	26.1
2001	219	11.5	19.0	37
2002	200	11.0	18.2	43
2003	200	11.0	18.2	43
2004	205	11.5	17.8	41.5
2005	194	15.0	12.9	47.4
2006	198	14.6	13.6	49
2007	205	14.6	14.0	50.7
2008	233	16.6	14.0	48.1
2009	224	14.6	15.3	45.5
2010	228	17.3	13.1	47.4
2011	244	18.0	13.5	51.2
2012	308	16.1	19.0	48.4
2013	314	17.4	18.0	52.2
2014	317	19.3	16.4	54.3
2015	336	21.0	16.0	56
2016	339	21.0	16.1	57.5
2017	289	19.2	15.0	51.2
2018	303	21.1	14.3	51.5
2019	309	22.3	13.8	53.4
2020	311	21.9	14.1	51.1
2021	296	22.7	12.9	50
2022	306	21.9	13.9	40.5
2023	237	17.0	13.8	41.4
2024	267	18.7	14.2	38.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Alta Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$572 (4.3%)	$12,877 (95.7%)	$13,449

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Alta Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 390^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 214^th of 574 Elementary schools	27.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Alta Elementary School)	69.8	68.3	1.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Alta-Aurelia Community School District)	64.6	67.2	2.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Alta Elementary School)	62.3	92.7	30.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Alta-Aurelia Community School District)	63.1	82	18.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Alta Elementary School)	63.6	82.9	19.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Alta-Aurelia Community School District)	66.7	84.9	18.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.6	3.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Alta Elementary School)	69.7	78	8.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Alta-Aurelia Community School District)	58.8	77.4	18.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	69.4	3.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	309	237	23.3%
African American	4	2	50%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	1	75%
Hispanic	82	61	25.6%
Pacific Islander	3	14	366.7%
White	208	156	25%
Two or More Races	8	3	62.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	53.4%	41.4%	12%

Schools Near Alta Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)			ISASP Mathematics (2024)			ISASP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Alta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	1009 Main St	Alta	51002	Buena Vista County	Alta-Aurelia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 200-1400	267	19	14.2	38.6%	179 (67.0%)	7 (2.6%)	55 (20.6%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (7.1%)	5 (1.9%)	86.2	29^th of 557 public elementary schools	94.8%					(n/a)	90.2	92.3		85.7	87.2			$13,449	$572	$12,877
Storm Lake Early Elementary School	Public	K	5950 90th Avenue	Storm lake	50588	Buena Vista County	Storm Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(712) 213-2110	247	21	12.0	66.0%	28 (11.3%)	10 (4.0%)	131 (53.0%)	28 (11.3%)	1 (0.4%)	46 (18.6%)	3 (1.2%)								(n/a)
Storm Lake Elementary	Public	1-4	1810 Hyland Drive	Storm Lake	50588	Buena Vista County	Storm Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 732-8074	807	58	13.8	71.4%	84 (10.4%)	38 (4.7%)	448 (55.5%)	118 (14.6%)	1 (0.1%)	103 (12.8%)	15 (1.9%)	1.9	549^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.4%		3.9	549^th of 565 public elementary schools	2.8%		32.8	40.5		47.5	30.8			$12,446	$1,029	$11,417
East Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	930 E 5th	Storm Lake	50588	Buena Vista County	Storm Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 732-8076	110	9	11.5	54.5%	14 (12.7%)	6 (5.5%)	58 (52.7%)	14 (12.7%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (15.5%)	1 (0.9%)								(n/a)								$20,109	$718	$19,392
Aurelia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	300 Ash St	Aurelia	51005	Cherokee County	Alta-Aurelia Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 434-5595	116	9	12.7	31.0%	102 (87.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.6%)								(n/a)								$16,210	$697	$15,513
Schaller-Crestland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 S Berwick	Schaller	51053	Sac County	Schaller-Crestland Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 275-4267	170	13	13.0	50.6%	109 (64.1%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (20.0%)	3 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (11.2%)	5 (2.9%)	80.9	66^th of 557 public elementary schools	88.2%		78.9	91^st of 565 public elementary schools	83.9%	25	71.4	87.0	68.8	92.9	91.3	87.5	87.5	$14,410	$990	$13,420
Cherokee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	204 E. Indian Street	Cherokee	51012	Cherokee County	Cherokee Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 225-6760	484	35	14.0	45.2%	390 (80.6%)	6 (1.2%)	59 (12.2%)	6 (1.2%)	2 (0.4%)	4 (0.8%)	17 (3.5%)	53.7	304^th of 557 public elementary schools	45.4%		56.4	274^th of 565 public elementary schools	51.5%	30	49.0	80.7		75.0	86.7			$10,621	$458	$10,163
Newell-Fonda Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	205 Clark St	Newell	50568	Buena Vista County	Newell-Fonda Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 272-3324	287	17	16.4	49.5%	208 (72.5%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (17.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (7.7%)	6 (2.1%)	46.2	353^rd of 557 public elementary schools	36.6%		58.8	255^th of 565 public elementary schools	54.9%	98	68.6	65.9	63.6	91.4	68.3	61.4	56.8	$12,429	$641	$11,789
Sioux Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4440 U.S. Hwy 71	Sioux Rapids	50585	Buena Vista County	Sioux Central Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 283-2571	234	22	10.5	20.5%	190 (81.2%)	2 (0.9%)	32 (13.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	5 (2.1%)	58.6	266^th of 557 public elementary schools	52.2%		61.5	227^th of 565 public elementary schools	59.8%	39	95.0	68.6	76.9	90.0	68.6	76.9	53.8	$12,124	$630	$11,494
Galva-Holstein Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	519 E Maple	Holstein	51025	Ida County	Galva-Holstein Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 368-4353	173	13	13.3	37.0%	146 (84.4%)	4 (2.3%)	16 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.3%)	3 (1.7%)								(n/a)	67.9			82.1				$12,328	$718	$11,610

Frequently Asked Questions about Alta Elementary School

Is Alta Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Alta Elementary School ranks in the top 5.2% of Iowa elementary schools.

What district is Alta Elementary School in?

Alta-Aurelia Community School District

What schools do graduates of Alta Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Alta Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Alta-Aurelia Middle School
High : Alta-Aurelia High School

How many students attend Alta Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 267 students attended Alta Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Alta Elementary School?

Students at Alta Elementary School are 67% White, 21% Hispanic, 7% Pacific Islander, 3% African American, 2% Two or more races.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.