Cooper Elementary School

Summary:

Cooper Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, serving grades 1-5 with a student population of 252. It is part of the Fort Dodge Community School District, which is ranked 300 out of 309 school districts in Iowa and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cooper Elementary generally performs below the state and district averages in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. However, there are some bright spots, such as 5th-grade students performing better than the district and state in ELA in 2022-2023. The school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 42.98% to 48.41% over the past three years, which is higher than nearby schools like Feelhaver Elementary (36.99%) and Sunset Heights Elementary (50.69%). Additionally, Cooper Elementary has a lower student-teacher ratio (11.7) compared to the other schools in the district, which range from 12.8 to 16.1.

Cooper Elementary's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the past several years, from 480 out of 603 Iowa elementary schools in 2018-2019 to 491 out of 557 in 2023-2024. This suggests the school is struggling to keep up with the performance of other elementary schools in the state. While Cooper Elementary faces challenges, some nearby schools like Feelhaver Elementary and Sunset Heights Elementary perform significantly better on standardized tests and have higher statewide rankings, indicating that there may be opportunities for improvement through targeted interventions and the adoption of best practices from successful schools in the area.

Detail:

Public 1-5

2420 14th Avenue North
Fort Dodge, IA 50501

(515) 574-5602

District: Fort Dodge Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
491^st of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $18,249

Students who attend Cooper Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Fort Dodge Middle School
High:	Fort Dodge High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.7

Number of students: 252

Racial breakdown:

White:

74.6%

Hispanic:

11.1%

Two or more races:

8.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.4%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Cooper Elementary School ranks worse than 88.2% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 2^nd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Fort Dodge Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 14.41. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (74.6%), Hispanic (11.1%), two or more races (8.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cooper Elementary School is 11.7, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Fort Dodge Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Cooper Elementary School employs 21.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cooper Elementary School is $18,249, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Fort Dodge Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Fort Dodge Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Fort Dodge Community School District 300^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Cooper Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	40.58	450^th	626	28.1%
2013	50.22	373^rd	624	40.2%
2014	29.19	495^th	603	17.9%
2015	14.05	554^th	616	10.1%
2016	9.19	557^th	599	7.0%
2017	18.79	497^th	574	13.4%
2018	22.15	477^th	567	15.9%
2019	28.54	480^th	603	20.4%
2021	28.98	448^th	567	21.0%
2022	33.28	428^th	574	25.4%
2023	23.42	469^th	565	17.0%
2024	14.41	491^st	557	11.8%

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 Cooper Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	325	27	4	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	358
1989	334	19	5	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	359
1990	329	28	5	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	365
1991	303	24	4	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	336
1992	316	18	4	2	2	n/a	n/a	0	342
1993	293	8	8	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	313
1994	290	9	8	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	310
1995	278	13	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	300
1996	278	13	9	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	300
1997	294	15	12	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	322
1998	293	22	6	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	326
1999	240	17	6	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	268
2000	296	27	8	5	0	n/a	n/a	-27	309
2001	238	29	6	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	280
2002	222	16	9	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	248
2003	222	16	9	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	248
2004	226	18	8	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	253
2005	226	19	6	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	254
2006	227	23	7	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	259
2007	226	17	9	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	257
2008	226	17	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	255
2009	232	18	6	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	266
2010	220	11	5	13	0	0	2	0	251
2011	221	13	4	9	0	0	5	0	252
2012	241	12	3	14	0	0	16	0	286
2013	223	17	5	13	0	0	20	0	278
2014	218	22	6	17	0	0	20	0	283
2015	217	19	3	17	1	0	20	0	277
2016	243	17	5	23	1	0	18	0	307
2017	226	9	4	26	0	0	18	0	283
2018	229	10	3	19	0	0	20	0	281
2019	195	8	4	22	0	0	20	0	249
2020	194	13	2	23	0	0	22	0	254
2021	202	17	3	28	0	0	25	0	275
2022	181	9	3	22	0	0	20	0	235
2023	188	12	1	28	0	1	22	0	252

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 Cooper Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	358	22.9	15.6	15.6
1989	359	23.4	15.3	15
1990	365	22.4	16.2	13.4
1991	336	19.5	17.2	17
1992	342	21.0	16.2	15.5
1993	313	13.5	23.2	16
1994	310	17.7	17.5	19.7
1995	300	16.3	18.4	17
1996	300	16.3	18.4	17
1997	322	18.8	17.1	17.1
1998	326	18.1	18.0	11.7
1999	268	23.1	11.6	24.3
2000	309	18.0	17.2	19.3
2001	280	17.0	16.5	30.4
2002	248	24.5	10.1	28.6
2003	248	24.5	10.1	28.6
2004	253	21.2	11.9	28.1
2005	254	22.1	11.5	29.1
2006	259	24.0	10.8	34
2007	257	23.0	11.2	33.1
2008	255	42.2	6.0	29.4
2009	266	23.3	11.4	39.8
2010	251	21.3	11.7	41.8
2011	252	21.0	12.0	44
2012	286	19.7	14.4	51
2013	278	17.0	16.3	53.2
2014	283	18.6	15.1	47.7
2015	277	19.0	14.5	51.3
2016	307	21.0	14.6	53.7
2017	283	21.9	12.8	51.2
2018	281	24.4	11.5	48
2019	249	22.6	10.9	43
2020	254	23.7	10.6	42.1
2021	275	25.3	10.8	45.8
2022	235	24.2	9.6	43
2023	252	21.5	11.7	48.4

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 Cooper Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	358	22.9	15.6	15.6
1989	359	23.4	15.3	15
1990	365	22.4	16.2	13.4
1991	336	19.5	17.2	17
1992	342	21.0	16.2	15.5
1993	313	13.5	23.2	16
1994	310	17.7	17.5	19.7
1995	300	16.3	18.4	17
1996	300	16.3	18.4	17
1997	322	18.8	17.1	17.1
1998	326	18.1	18.0	11.7
1999	268	23.1	11.6	24.3
2000	309	18.0	17.2	19.3
2001	280	17.0	16.5	30.4
2002	248	24.5	10.1	28.6
2003	248	24.5	10.1	28.6
2004	253	21.2	11.9	28.1
2005	254	22.1	11.5	29.1
2006	259	24.0	10.8	34
2007	257	23.0	11.2	33.1
2008	255	42.2	6.0	29.4
2009	266	23.3	11.4	39.8
2010	251	21.3	11.7	41.8
2011	252	21.0	12.0	44
2012	286	19.7	14.4	51
2013	278	17.0	16.3	53.2
2014	283	18.6	15.1	47.7
2015	277	19.0	14.5	51.3
2016	307	21.0	14.6	53.7
2017	283	21.9	12.8	51.2
2018	281	24.4	11.5	48
2019	249	22.6	10.9	43
2020	254	23.7	10.6	42.1
2021	275	25.3	10.8	45.8
2022	235	24.2	9.6	43
2023	252	21.5	11.7	48.4

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 Cooper Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,339 (7.3%)	$16,910 (92.7%)	$18,249

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cooper 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 480^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 469^th of 565 Elementary schools	3.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cooper Elementary School)	46.9	28.6	18.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Fort Dodge Community School District)	55.3	44.8	10.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cooper Elementary School)	49	55.1	6.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Fort Dodge Community School District)	54.5	54.4	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cooper Elementary School)	71.4	65.4	6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Fort Dodge Community School District)	62.8	61.8	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cooper Elementary School)	69.4	48.1	21.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Fort Dodge Community School District)	53.4	52.4	1%
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	249	252	1.2%
African American	8	12	50%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	1	75%
Hispanic	22	28	27.3%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	195	188	3.6%
Two or More Races	20	22	10%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	43%	48.4%	5.4%

Schools Near Cooper 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
Cooper Elementary School	Public	1-5	2420 14th Avenue North	Fort Dodge	50501	Webster County	Fort Dodge Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 574-5602	252	22	11.7	48.4%	188 (74.6%)	12 (4.8%)	28 (11.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (8.7%)	14.4	491^st of 557 public elementary schools	11.8%		23.4	469^th of 565 public elementary schools	17.0%	22	35.4	51.2	64.6	60.4	53.5	51.1	38.3	$18,249	$1,339	$16,910
Duncombe Elementary School	Public	1-5	1620 6th Avenue North	Fort Dodge	50501	Webster County	Fort Dodge Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 574-5623	461	32	14.2	79.0%	231 (50.1%)	45 (9.8%)	105 (22.8%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	4 (0.9%)	70 (15.2%)	6.7	529^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.0%		14.6	507^th of 565 public elementary schools	10.3%	22	39.2	57.3	49.4	43.3	49.3	43.7	28.7	$15,271	$1,808	$13,463
Feelhaver Elementary School	Public	1-5	1300 14th Ave N	Fort Dodge	50501	Webster County	Fort Dodge Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 574-5680	219	14	16.1	37.0%	180 (82.2%)	5 (2.3%)	17 (7.8%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.8%)	45.3	362^nd of 557 public elementary schools	35.0%		34.7	430^th of 565 public elementary schools	23.9%	68	48.6	70.5	79.5	62.9	68.2	72.7	59.1	$15,454	$1,136	$14,318
Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	104 So. 17th St.	Fort Dodge	50501	Webster County	Fort Dodge Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 574-5740	385	25	15.5	59.5%	252 (65.5%)	25 (6.5%)	54 (14.0%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	47 (12.2%)								(n/a)
Butler Elementary School	Public	1-5	945 South 18th Street	Fort Dodge	50501	Webster County	Fort Dodge Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 574-5882	379	29	12.8	76.5%	251 (66.2%)	28 (7.4%)	52 (13.7%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	43 (11.3%)	7.3	525^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.7%		5.7	540^th of 565 public elementary schools	4.4%	15	40.0	47.7	48.7	55.4	36.9	51.3	35.9	$15,434	$1,605	$13,830
Manson Northwest Webster Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	303 Pierce Street	Barnum	50518	Webster County	Manson Northwest Webster Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 542-3211	429	30	14.4	27.0%	401 (93.5%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (4.2%)								(n/a)								$12,033	$373	$11,659
Clyde D Mease Elementary School	Public	PK-K	23 3rd St No	Dakota City	50529	Humboldt County	Humboldt Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 332-3578	153	8	20.1	37.3%	135 (88.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (9.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.6%)								(n/a)								$13,645	$431	$13,214
Taft Elementary School	Public	1-4	612 2nd Ave North	Humboldt	50548	Humboldt County	Humboldt Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 332-3216	396	34	11.7	42.4%	340 (85.9%)	3 (0.8%)	42 (10.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	79.1	77^th of 557 public elementary schools	86.2%		89.5	14^th of 565 public elementary schools	97.5%	63	72.3	87.2		84.2	88.8			$12,984	$826	$12,158
Eagle Grove Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	425 North Fort	Eagle Grove	50533	Wright County	Eagle Grove Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 448-3126	430	35	12.4	63.5%	236 (54.9%)	6 (1.4%)	177 (41.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	7 (1.6%)	33.4	425^th of 557 public elementary schools	23.7%		16.5	499^th of 565 public elementary schools	11.7%	74	56.3	60.3		81.3	51.7			$12,163	$848	$11,316
Sunset Heights Elementary School	Public	2-4	1101 Boone St	Webster City	50595	Hamilton County	Webster City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 832-9245	288	24	12.0	50.7%	179 (62.2%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (28.1%)	11 (3.8%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (4.9%)	50.5	323^rd of 557 public elementary schools	42.0%		49	331^st of 565 public elementary schools	41.4%	8	68.5	71.2		73.6	71.2			$13,832	$828	$13,004

Frequently Asked Questions about Cooper Elementary School

Is Cooper Elementary School a good school?

Cooper Elementary School ranks in the bottom 11.8% of Iowa elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Cooper Elementary School?

Students at Cooper Elementary School are 75% White, 11% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 5% African American.

How many students attend Cooper Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 252 students attended Cooper Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Cooper Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Fort Dodge Middle School
High : Fort Dodge High School

What district is Cooper Elementary School in?

Fort Dodge 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.