Southdale Elementary School

Q: Is Southdale Elementary School a good school?

Southdale Elementary School ranks 119 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Southdale Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, serving grades PK-6 with a student population of around 530. The school is part of the Cedar Falls Community School District, which is ranked 53 out of 309 districts in Iowa and is rated 4 stars out of 5 by SchoolDigger.

Southdale Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Iowa, ranking as high as 52nd out of 574 schools in the 2021-2022 school year. The school's students consistently outperform the state and district averages in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) tests for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, proficiency rates at Southdale Elementary ranged from 74.3% to 91.2% across the grades, significantly higher than the state averages of 64.2% to 74.5% in English Language Arts and 71.1% to 76.3% in Mathematics.

Southdale Elementary has a relatively diverse student population, with 78.87% White, 4.15% African American, 3.4% Hispanic, and 7.17% Asian students in the 2022-2023 school year. This diversity is higher than some of the nearby schools, such as Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary, which has a student population that is 89.28% White. Additionally, Southdale Elementary has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 23.02% in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to some nearby schools like Irving Elementary in the Waterloo Community School District, which has a free and reduced lunch rate of 91.79%.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

627 Orchard Dr
Cedar Falls, IA 50613

(319) 553-2900

District: Cedar Falls Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
119^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,540

Students who attend Southdale Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Peet Junior High School
High:	Cedar Falls High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.2

Number of students: 530

Racial breakdown:

White:

78.9%

Asian:

7.2%

Two or more races:

6.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 23%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Southdale Elementary School ranks better than 78.6% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 3^rd among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Cedar Falls Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 73.88. (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 Southdale Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Cedar Falls Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Southdale Elementary School is $11,540. 4 elementary schools in the Cedar Falls Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Cedar Falls Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Cedar Falls Community School District 53^rd of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Southdale Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	76.23	86^th	626	86.3%
2013	72.07	130^th	624	79.2%
2014	71.33	145^th	603	76.0%
2015	80.42	60^th	616	90.3%
2016	76.62	103^rd	599	82.8%
2017	79.24	77^th	574	86.6%
2018	71.38	152^nd	567	73.2%
2019	80.53	92^nd	603	84.7%
2021	77.92	102^nd	567	82.0%
2022	84.17	52^nd	574	90.9%
2023	80.79	72^nd	565	87.3%
2024	73.88	119^th	557	78.6%

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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Enrollment information for Southdale Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	379	7	15	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	401
1989	382	3	15	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	400
1990	390	3	20	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	413
1991	393	4	29	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	427
1992	383	7	20	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	411
1993	374	8	25	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	411
1994	356	8	13	2	6	n/a	n/a	0	385
1995	346	16	13	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	377
1996	346	16	13	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	377
1997	337	12	13	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	365
1998	322	19	9	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	353
1999	363	17	11	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	394
2000	374	19	8	2	0	n/a	n/a	-24	379
2001	361	20	11	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	396
2002	320	23	7	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	352
2003	320	23	7	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	352
2004	340	25	11	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	379
2005	344	33	16	6	2	n/a	n/a	0	401
2006	367	22	16	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	412
2007	389	21	22	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	448
2008	397	33	25	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	467
2009	391	25	32	12	4	n/a	n/a	0	464
2010	440	14	27	18	0	1	15	0	515
2011	458	18	35	19	0	1	18	0	549
2012	492	14	31	23	0	1	10	0	571
2013	528	15	29	23	0	0	18	0	613
2014	530	10	38	20	1	0	22	0	621
2015	572	10	31	26	2	1	21	0	663
2016	594	16	31	19	2	2	27	0	691
2017	635	26	36	14	2	4	36	0	753
2018	640	19	37	16	2	4	37	0	755
2019	468	17	33	9	0	5	35	0	567
2020	438	14	39	17	1	7	27	0	543
2021	419	14	40	11	1	12	27	0	524
2022	438	18	41	13	0	0	25	0	535
2023	418	22	38	18	0	0	34	0	530

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 Southdale Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	401	20.2	19.8	7
1989	400	21.2	18.8	5.8
1990	413	21.2	19.4	5.3
1991	427	21.2	20.1	8
1992	411	22.0	18.6	8.5
1993	411	21.7	18.9	9.7
1994	385	21.8	17.7	9.4
1995	377	21.5	17.5	8.5
1996	377	21.5	17.5	8.5
1997	365	20.5	17.8	5.8
1998	353	19.4	18.2	9.9
1999	394	23.9	16.5	11.9
2000	379	24.8	15.3	11.2
2001	396	30.9	12.8	11.4
2002	352	23.6	14.9	13.9
2003	352	23.6	14.9	13.9
2004	379	25.9	14.6	12.1
2005	401	28.2	14.2	13
2006	412	28.2	14.6	5.8
2007	448	31.1	14.4	9.4
2008	467	24.8	18.8	13.5
2009	464	22.0	21.1	9.9
2010	515	28.0	18.3	11.3
2011	549	32.0	17.1	12.9
2012	571	36.4	15.6	13.7
2013	613	39.8	15.3	11.3
2014	621	41.3	15.0	15.1
2015	663	44.0	15.0	16
2016	691	45.0	15.3	19.1
2017	753	48.4	15.5	12
2018	755	46.7	16.1	12.5
2019	567	37.8	14.9	20.1
2020	543	37.8	14.3	19.5
2021	524	37.8	13.8	16.8
2022	535	38.8	13.7	18.1
2023	530	39.8	13.2	23

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 Southdale Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	401	20.2	19.8	7
1989	400	21.2	18.8	5.8
1990	413	21.2	19.4	5.3
1991	427	21.2	20.1	8
1992	411	22.0	18.6	8.5
1993	411	21.7	18.9	9.7
1994	385	21.8	17.7	9.4
1995	377	21.5	17.5	8.5
1996	377	21.5	17.5	8.5
1997	365	20.5	17.8	5.8
1998	353	19.4	18.2	9.9
1999	394	23.9	16.5	11.9
2000	379	24.8	15.3	11.2
2001	396	30.9	12.8	11.4
2002	352	23.6	14.9	13.9
2003	352	23.6	14.9	13.9
2004	379	25.9	14.6	12.1
2005	401	28.2	14.2	13
2006	412	28.2	14.6	5.8
2007	448	31.1	14.4	9.4
2008	467	24.8	18.8	13.5
2009	464	22.0	21.1	9.9
2010	515	28.0	18.3	11.3
2011	549	32.0	17.1	12.9
2012	571	36.4	15.6	13.7
2013	613	39.8	15.3	11.3
2014	621	41.3	15.0	15.1
2015	663	44.0	15.0	16
2016	691	45.0	15.3	19.1
2017	753	48.4	15.5	12
2018	755	46.7	16.1	12.5
2019	567	37.8	14.9	20.1
2020	543	37.8	14.3	19.5
2021	524	37.8	13.8	16.8
2022	535	38.8	13.7	18.1
2023	530	39.8	13.2	23

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 Southdale Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$473 (4.1%)	$11,067 (95.9%)	$11,540

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Southdale 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 92^nd of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 72^nd of 565 Elementary schools	2.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Southdale Elementary School)	76.1	85.5	9.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Falls Community School District)	78.6	84.8	6.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Southdale Elementary School)	85.1	89.9	4.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cedar Falls Community School District)	82	87.3	5.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Southdale Elementary School)	82.9	86.6	3.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Falls Community School District)	84.7	83.3	1.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Southdale Elementary School)	81.7	85.1	3.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Falls Community School District)	82.8	80	2.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Southdale Elementary School)	85.7	74	11.7%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Falls Community School District)	80.9	78.1	2.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Southdale Elementary School)	85.7	83.6	2.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Falls Community School District)	79.5	79.2	0.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Southdale Elementary School)	84.9	92	7.1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Cedar Falls Community School District)	81.7	86.6	4.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Southdale Elementary School)	80.8	80	0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Cedar Falls Community School District)	79.7	78.9	0.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	69.9	0.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	567	530	6.5%
African American	17	22	29.4%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	33	38	15.2%
Hispanic	9	18	100%
Pacific Islander	5	0	100%
White	468	418	10.7%
Two or More Races	35	34	2.9%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	20.1%	23%	2.9%

Schools Near Southdale 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Southdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	627 Orchard Dr	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 553-2900	530	40	13.2	23.0%	418 (78.9%)	22 (4.2%)	18 (3.4%)	38 (7.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (6.4%)	73.9	119^th of 557 public elementary schools	78.6%		80.8	72^nd of 565 public elementary schools	87.3%	47	81.8	91.2	87.1	74.3	89.1	77.9	81.4	75.7	71.4	$11,540	$473	$11,067
Orchard Hill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3909 Rownd St	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 553-2465	436	34	12.8	31.7%	349 (80.0%)	9 (2.1%)	13 (3.0%)	22 (5.0%)	1 (0.2%)	10 (2.3%)	32 (7.3%)	64.3	206^th of 557 public elementary schools	63.0%		66.9	184^th of 565 public elementary schools	67.4%	22	68.0	75.0	82.0	78.4	94.0	81.7	72.0	70.6	62.0	$12,775	$396	$12,378
Cedar Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2417 Rainbow Dr	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 553-2855	474	33	14.4	39.5%	383 (80.8%)	34 (7.2%)	11 (2.3%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	36 (7.6%)	59.7	258^th of 557 public elementary schools	53.7%		62.4	221^st of 565 public elementary schools	60.9%	37	70.1	80.9	63.3	86.4	88.1	74.5	70.0	74.6	55.0	$11,656	$449	$11,208
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	321 8th Street	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 553-2950	453	33	13.7	45.3%	364 (80.4%)	41 (9.1%)	15 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	27 (6.0%)	69.7	166^th of 557 public elementary schools	70.2%		63.8	212^th of 565 public elementary schools	62.5%	46	77.8	86.8	74.2	79.7	81.0	81.1	72.6	79.7	71.0	$13,045	$435	$12,609
Bess Streeter Aldrich Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	2526 Ashworth Drive	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 553-2901	485	29	16.5	8.0%	433 (89.3%)	5 (1.0%)	5 (1.0%)	19 (3.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.5%)	91.5	7^th of 557 public elementary schools	98.7%		89.2	15^th of 565 public elementary schools	97.3%	8	87.1	93.1	95.9	93.5	90.0	94.4	95.9	88.7	87.8	$10,912	$517	$10,395
Helen A Hansen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	616 Holmes Dr	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 553-2775	591	34	17.4	15.7%	494 (83.6%)	27 (4.6%)	15 (2.5%)	20 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.8%)	85.7	30^th of 557 public elementary schools	94.6%		87.7	23^rd of 565 public elementary schools	95.9%	7	86.0	87.7	85.7	90.8	87.2	81.5	82.9	96.1	81.9	$10,408	$395	$10,013
Fred Becker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1239 Sheldon St	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2180	473	35	13.4	75.7%	209 (44.2%)	142 (30.0%)	45 (9.5%)	9 (1.9%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.6%)	50 (10.6%)	15.1	489^th of 557 public elementary schools	12.2%		14.6	506^th of 565 public elementary schools	10.4%	17	44.4	52.7	48.5		61.9	58.2	54.5		47.0	$13,341	$1,146	$12,194
North Cedar Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2419 Fern Ave	Cedar Falls	50613	Black Hawk County	Cedar Falls Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 553-2810	260	22	11.8	49.6%	202 (77.7%)	23 (8.8%)	14 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (8.1%)	63.9	209^th of 557 public elementary schools	62.5%		66.6	188^th of 565 public elementary schools	66.7%	21	73.0	77.3	83.8	82.9	86.5	63.6	91.9	54.3	70.3	$14,328	$519	$13,809
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	302 Cedar Bend St	Waterloo	50703	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-1990	471	38	12.3	86.2%	96 (20.4%)	223 (47.3%)	46 (9.8%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.5%)	80 (17.0%)	15.4	486^th of 557 public elementary schools	12.7%		15.5	502^nd of 565 public elementary schools	11.2%	16	51.0	56.9	33.3		71.4	60.0	53.0		27.3	$14,309	$1,947	$12,361
Kingsley Elementary School	Public	K-5	201 Sunset Rd	Waterloo	50701	Black Hawk County	Waterloo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 433-2210	343	26	12.9	53.4%	207 (60.3%)	43 (12.5%)	26 (7.6%)	11 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.2%)	52 (15.2%)	61.6	232^nd of 557 public elementary schools	58.3%		73.4	130^th of 565 public elementary schools	77.0%	102	72.5	73.8	70.8		88.2	85.2	66.7		56.3	$12,606	$882	$11,722

Frequently Asked Questions about Southdale Elementary School

Is Southdale Elementary School a good school?

Southdale Elementary School ranks 119^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Southdale Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Peet Junior High School
High : Cedar Falls High School

How many students attend Southdale Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 530 students attended Southdale Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Southdale Elementary School?

Students at Southdale Elementary School are 79% White, 7% Asian, 6% Two or more races, 4% African American, 3% Hispanic.

What district is Southdale Elementary School in?

Cedar Falls Community School District

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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.