Cherokee Elementary School

Q: Is Cherokee Elementary School a good school?

Cherokee Elementary School ranks 304 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Cherokee Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 492 students in grades PK-4 in the Cherokee Community School District in Cherokee, Iowa. The school has a predominantly White student population, with smaller percentages of Hispanic, multiracial, and other racial/ethnic groups.

Academically, Cherokee Elementary School has had a mixed performance history. While the school's statewide ranking has fluctuated in recent years, its proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics, particularly in 3rd grade, have generally been lower than the state averages. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting a higher proportion of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. However, the school maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio compared to some nearby schools.

When comparing Cherokee Elementary School to nearby schools, such as Alta Elementary School and MMCRU Marcus Elementary, the nearby schools have consistently outperformed Cherokee Elementary on state assessment proficiency rates, particularly in 3rd and 4th grade ELA and Math. These schools also have higher statewide rankings and more favorable free and reduced-price lunch rates. Additionally, Cherokee Elementary School's statewide ranking has declined over the past several years, suggesting its performance may be declining relative to other elementary schools in the state.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

204 E. Indian Street
Cherokee, IA 51012

(712) 225-6760

District: Cherokee Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
304^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,621

Students who attend Cherokee Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Cherokee Middle School
High:	Washington High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 492

Racial breakdown:

White:

81.1%

Hispanic:

11.0%

Two or more races:

3.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Cherokee Elementary School ranks worse than 54.6% of elementary schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 53.66. (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

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cherokee Elementary School is $10,621.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Cherokee Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Cherokee Community School District 157^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Cherokee Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	62.32	245^th	626	60.9%
2013	50.37	372^nd	624	40.4%
2014	54.61	332^nd	603	44.9%
2015	54.33	342^nd	616	44.5%
2016	71.74	151^st	599	74.8%
2017	62.49	247^th	574	57.0%
2018	51.89	323^rd	567	43.0%
2019	29.38	472^nd	603	21.7%
2021	31.47	432^nd	567	23.8%
2022	31.68	439^th	574	23.5%
2023	56.44	274^th	565	51.5%
2024	53.66	304^th	557	45.4%

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 Cherokee Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	503	6	2	0	4	n/a	n/a	0	515
1989	473	3	2	0	3	n/a	n/a	0	481
1990	485	3	0	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	492
1991	491	6	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	498
1992	497	5	2	4	4	n/a	n/a	0	512
1993	474	2	2	3	2	n/a	n/a	0	483
1994	430	4	5	3	5	n/a	n/a	0	447
1995	182	1	4	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	194
1996	182	1	4	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	194
1997	388	5	4	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	408
1998	451	2	6	4	4	n/a	n/a	0	467
1999	453	1	8	6	4	n/a	n/a	0	472
2000	489	1	1	4	2	n/a	n/a	-35	462
2001	418	2	6	12	2	n/a	n/a	0	440
2002	370	3	1	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	388
2003	370	3	1	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	388
2004	348	15	4	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	384
2005	349	17	7	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	396
2006	344	15	7	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	392
2007	328	17	8	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	378
2008	324	15	9	24	0	n/a	n/a	0	372
2009	317	10	9	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	355
2010	336	3	3	20	0	0	16	0	378
2011	332	3	2	13	0	0	19	0	369
2012	352	2	1	10	0	0	20	0	385
2013	378	8	2	21	0	0	20	0	429
2014	371	6	4	14	0	0	19	0	414
2015	372	10	4	21	0	0	16	0	423
2016	352	6	7	25	0	0	18	0	408
2017	408	8	8	29	0	0	20	0	473
2018	412	9	11	34	0	0	22	0	488
2019	447	5	7	45	2	0	16	0	522
2020	427	3	9	49	3	0	14	0	505
2021	408	3	8	53	2	4	10	0	488
2022	409	2	10	54	3	6	17	0	501
2023	399	5	5	54	3	9	17	0	492

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 Cherokee Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	515	28.4	18.1	18.1
1989	481	27.4	17.5	15.2
1990	492	27.4	17.9	17.1
1991	498	28.4	17.5	14.1
1992	512	30.0	17.0	18.6
1993	483	32.5	14.9	20.1
1994	447	30.9	14.5	22.4
1995	194	16.0	12.1	43.8
1996	194	16.0	12.1	43.8
1997	408	30.3	13.5	21.6
1998	467	30.3	15.4	16.1
1999	472	32.0	14.8	28
2000	462	35.5	13.0	25.8
2001	440	21.0	21.0	27
2002	388	34.0	11.4	39.2
2003	388	34.0	11.4	39.2
2004	384	33.7	11.4	37.2
2005	396	32.5	12.2	39.1
2006	392	32.5	12.1	43.6
2007	378	31.5	12.0	41.3
2008	372	29.5	12.6	38.7
2009	355	28.9	12.3	43.1
2010	378	28.5	13.2	44.2
2011	369	24.0	15.3	41.7
2012	385	24.0	16.0	39
2013	429	24.0	17.8	44.8
2014	414	25.1	16.4	42.3
2015	423	26.0	16.2	44.7
2016	408	27.0	15.1	41.4
2017	473	26.2	18.0	41.9
2018	488	30.2	16.1	42.2
2019	522	31.0	16.8	39.1
2020	505	33.6	15.0	39.8
2021	488	32.2	15.1	44.3
2022	501	33.2	15.0	40.7
2023	492	33.8	14.5	43.3

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 Cherokee Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	515	28.4	18.1	18.1
1989	481	27.4	17.5	15.2
1990	492	27.4	17.9	17.1
1991	498	28.4	17.5	14.1
1992	512	30.0	17.0	18.6
1993	483	32.5	14.9	20.1
1994	447	30.9	14.5	22.4
1995	194	16.0	12.1	43.8
1996	194	16.0	12.1	43.8
1997	408	30.3	13.5	21.6
1998	467	30.3	15.4	16.1
1999	472	32.0	14.8	28
2000	462	35.5	13.0	25.8
2001	440	21.0	21.0	27
2002	388	34.0	11.4	39.2
2003	388	34.0	11.4	39.2
2004	384	33.7	11.4	37.2
2005	396	32.5	12.2	39.1
2006	392	32.5	12.1	43.6
2007	378	31.5	12.0	41.3
2008	372	29.5	12.6	38.7
2009	355	28.9	12.3	43.1
2010	378	28.5	13.2	44.2
2011	369	24.0	15.3	41.7
2012	385	24.0	16.0	39
2013	429	24.0	17.8	44.8
2014	414	25.1	16.4	42.3
2015	423	26.0	16.2	44.7
2016	408	27.0	15.1	41.4
2017	473	26.2	18.0	41.9
2018	488	30.2	16.1	42.2
2019	522	31.0	16.8	39.1
2020	505	33.6	15.0	39.8
2021	488	32.2	15.1	44.3
2022	501	33.2	15.0	40.7
2023	492	33.8	14.5	43.3

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 Cherokee Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$458 (4.3%)	$10,163 (95.7%)	$10,621

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cherokee 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 472^nd of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 274^th of 565 Elementary schools	29.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cherokee Elementary School)	64.2	61	3.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cherokee Community School District)	64.2	61	3.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cherokee Elementary School)	72.8	85.7	12.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cherokee Community School District)	72.8	85.7	12.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cherokee Elementary School)	54.4	69.7	15.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cherokee Community School District)	54.4	69.7	15.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cherokee Elementary School)	46.7	78.7	32%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cherokee Community School District)	46.7	78.7	32%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	522	492	5.7%
African American	5	5
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	7	5	28.6%
Hispanic	45	54	20%
Pacific Islander	0	9
White	447	399	10.7%
Two or More Races	16	17	6.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39.1%	43.3%	4.2%

Schools Near Cherokee 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)		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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
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	492	34	14.5	43.3%	399 (81.1%)	5 (1.0%)	54 (11.0%)	5 (1.0%)	3 (0.6%)	9 (1.8%)	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
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	163	12	13.3	35.0%	128 (78.5%)	2 (1.2%)	26 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.8%)	4 (2.5%)								(n/a)					$16,210	$697	$15,513
MMCRU Marcus Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	500 E Fenton St	Marcus	51035	Cherokee County	Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 376-2615	183	12	15.5	27.3%	172 (94.0%)	3 (1.6%)	3 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.2%)	55.1	299^th of 557 public elementary schools	46.3%		80.5	74^th of 565 public elementary schools	86.9%	225	72.4	63.9	86.2	72.2	$16,564	$450	$16,114
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	237	17	13.8	41.4%	156 (65.8%)	2 (0.8%)	61 (25.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.9%)	3 (1.3%)	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
River Valley Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	100 South 5th St	Washta	51061	Cherokee County	River Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 447-6318	174	17	10.3	60.3%	159 (91.4%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.4%)								(n/a)					$14,905	$633	$14,272
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	245	18	13.3	75.5%	33 (13.5%)	15 (6.1%)	135 (55.1%)	32 (13.1%)	1 (0.4%)	25 (10.2%)	4 (1.6%)								(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	814	53	15.4	76.0%	88 (10.8%)	56 (6.9%)	432 (53.1%)	120 (14.7%)	1 (0.1%)	94 (11.5%)	23 (2.8%)	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
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	137	11	12.8	35.0%	110 (80.3%)	4 (2.9%)	17 (12.4%)	1 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.5%)	3 (2.2%)								(n/a)	67.9		82.1		$12,328	$718	$11,610

Frequently Asked Questions about Cherokee Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Cherokee Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Cherokee Middle School
High : Washington High School

Is Cherokee Elementary School a good school?

Cherokee Elementary School ranks 304^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cherokee Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 492 students attended Cherokee Elementary School.

What district is Cherokee Elementary School in?

Cherokee Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Cherokee Elementary School?

Students at Cherokee Elementary School are 81% White, 11% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Pacific Islander, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

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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.