Penn Elementary School

Summary:

Penn Elementary School is a public elementary school located in North Liberty, Iowa, serving grades PK-6 with a total enrollment of 542 students. The school is part of the Iowa City Community School District, which is ranked 221 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Penn Elementary School consistently outperforms the Iowa City Community School District and the state of Iowa in academic proficiency across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Penn Elementary had 76.8% of 3rd graders proficient in ELA, compared to 66% for the district and 64.2% for the state. The school has a relatively diverse student population, with 76.75% White, 7.01% African American, 9.23% Hispanic, and 2.95% Asian students in the 2022-2023 school year. Additionally, Penn Elementary has a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 13.65% in the 2022-2023 school year.

Penn Elementary School has consistently ranked in the top 20% of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking of 103 out of 557 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. When compared to other nearby schools in the Iowa City Community School District, Penn Elementary stands out as a high-performing school with stronger academic outcomes and a more diverse student population, making it an attractive option for families in the area.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

 230 N Dubuque St
       North Liberty, IA  52317


(319) 688-1150

District: Iowa City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
103rd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,509 Help


Students who attend Penn Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    North Central Junior High School
High:    Liberty High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.1 Help
Number of students:  542

Racial breakdown:

White:
76.8%
Hispanic:
9.2%
African American:
7.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  13.7% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Penn Elementary School ranks better than 81.5% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 2nd among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 75.93. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (76.8%), Hispanic (9.2%), African American (7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 13.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Penn Elementary School is 16.1. 17 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)
Help
Compare Penn Elementary School employs 33.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Penn Elementary School is $12,509. 15 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Iowa City Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Iowa City Community School District 221st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Penn Elementary School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 58.32 291st 626 53.5%
2013 56.23 319th 624 48.9%
2014 61.49 260th 603 56.9%
2015 61.97 266th 616 56.8%
2016 63.45 250th 599 58.3%
2017 56.69 299th 574 47.9%
2018 67.60 187th 567 67.0%
2019 56.18 282nd 603 53.2%
2021 82.84 65th 567 88.5%
2022 82.97 66th 574 88.5%
2023 79.16 85th 565 85.0%
2024 75.93 103rd 557 81.5%
See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

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

Penn Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    






Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Penn Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 361 3 4 2 0 n/a n/a 0 370
1989 411 1 3 2 0 n/a n/a 0 417
1990 449 0 6 3 0 n/a n/a 0 458
1991 471 1 4 6 2 n/a n/a 0 484
1992 487 0 4 11 2 n/a n/a 0 504
1993 501 0 6 9 2 n/a n/a 0 518
1994 498 3 9 10 1 n/a n/a 0 521
1995 505 7 5 17 2 n/a n/a 0 536
1996 505 7 5 17 2 n/a n/a 0 536
1997 511 15 4 13 2 n/a n/a 0 545
1998 334 13 1 6 2 n/a n/a 0 356
1999 322 14 3 6 3 n/a n/a 0 348
2000 367 17 2 7 2 n/a n/a -18 377
2001 365 26 3 7 2 n/a n/a 0 403
2002 379 42 5 9 2 n/a n/a 0 437
2003 379 42 5 9 2 n/a n/a 0 437
2004 389 46 9 12 2 n/a n/a 0 458
2005 402 51 8 18 2 n/a n/a 0 481
2006 289 43 8 7 0 n/a n/a 0 347
2007 300 70 10 9 1 n/a n/a 0 390
2008 316 82 7 8 1 n/a n/a 0 414
2009 355 86 9 6 0 n/a n/a 0 456
2010 400 90 6 9 5 0 0 0 510
2011 375 58 0 12 2 0 0 0 447
2012 391 71 3 14 5 0 4 0 488
2013 403 66 2 18 4 0 12 0 505
2014 427 61 1 18 4 0 12 0 523
2015 423 56 1 17 3 0 21 0 521
2016 461 45 4 24 4 0 27 0 565
2017 486 45 6 23 3 0 29 0 592
2018 502 90 6 26 2 0 47 0 673
2019 503 73 7 27 2 0 43 0 655
2020 402 37 17 35 0 1 28 0 520
2021 391 31 19 39 0 0 24 0 504
2022 401 24 14 40 0 0 21 0 500
2023 416 38 16 50 0 0 22 0 542

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 Penn Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 370 15.5 23.8 8.9
1989 417 16.4 25.4 8.9
1990 458 17.4 26.3 10
1991 484 18.4 26.3 10.5
1992 504 23.0 21.9 8.1
1993 518 22.5 23.0 8.3
1994 521 24.0 21.7 8.3
1995 536 26.5 20.2 11
1996 536 26.5 20.2 11
1997 545 30.0 18.2 17.8
1998 356 18.0 19.8 12.1
1999 348 16.0 21.8 19.3
2000 377 17.0 22.2 22
2001 403 21.4 18.8 28.3
2002 437 28.2 15.5 25.6
2003 437 28.2 15.5 25.6
2004 458 28.2 16.2 20.3
2005 481 29.2 16.5 28.1
2006 347 22.2 15.6 20.2
2007 390 26.0 15.0 25.4
2008 414 28.2 14.7 25.6
2009 456 28.6 15.9 24.6
2010 510 29.1 17.4 27.8
2011 447 29.2 15.2 22.4
2012 488 29.5 16.4 22.7
2013 505 31.3 16.1 20
2014 523 32.3 16.1 22.2
2015 521 29.0 17.9 19.2
2016 565 32.0 17.6 18.1
2017 592 34.0 17.3 16.4
2018 673 38.7 17.3 22.3
2019 655 38.2 17.1 21.4
2020 520 32.4 16.0 12.7
2021 504 31.4 16.0 11.1
2022 500 32.9 15.1 12.6
2023 542 33.5 16.1 13.7

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 Penn Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 370 15.5 23.8 8.9
1989 417 16.4 25.4 8.9
1990 458 17.4 26.3 10
1991 484 18.4 26.3 10.5
1992 504 23.0 21.9 8.1
1993 518 22.5 23.0 8.3
1994 521 24.0 21.7 8.3
1995 536 26.5 20.2 11
1996 536 26.5 20.2 11
1997 545 30.0 18.2 17.8
1998 356 18.0 19.8 12.1
1999 348 16.0 21.8 19.3
2000 377 17.0 22.2 22
2001 403 21.4 18.8 28.3
2002 437 28.2 15.5 25.6
2003 437 28.2 15.5 25.6
2004 458 28.2 16.2 20.3
2005 481 29.2 16.5 28.1
2006 347 22.2 15.6 20.2
2007 390 26.0 15.0 25.4
2008 414 28.2 14.7 25.6
2009 456 28.6 15.9 24.6
2010 510 29.1 17.4 27.8
2011 447 29.2 15.2 22.4
2012 488 29.5 16.4 22.7
2013 505 31.3 16.1 20
2014 523 32.3 16.1 22.2
2015 521 29.0 17.9 19.2
2016 565 32.0 17.6 18.1
2017 592 34.0 17.3 16.4
2018 673 38.7 17.3 22.3
2019 655 38.2 17.1 21.4
2020 520 32.4 16.0 12.7
2021 504 31.4 16.0 11.1
2022 500 32.9 15.1 12.6
2023 542 33.5 16.1 13.7

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 Penn Elementary School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $453 (3.6%) $12,055 (96.4%) $12,509

Data source: Iowa Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Penn 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 282nd of 603 Elementary schoolsRanks 85th of 565 Elementary schools
 31.7%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Penn Elementary School)68.676.1
 7.5%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)64.563.9
 0.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)65.366.3
 1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Penn Elementary School)76.790.1
 13.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)7270.2
 1.8%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)71.775.3
 3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Penn Elementary School)80.386.7
 6.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)69.876
 6.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)70.573.1
 2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Penn Elementary School)84.288
 3.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)69.572.4
 2.9%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)72.572.9
 0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Penn Elementary School)62.476.3
 13.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)65.965
 0.9%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)67.368.3
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Penn Elementary School)63.577.9
 14.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)69.467.4
 2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)69.471.3
 1.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Penn Elementary School)61.888
 26.2%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)72.677
 4.4%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)67.572.7
 5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Penn Elementary School)80.388
 7.7%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)78.774.6
 4.1%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)69.469.9
 0.5%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students655542
 17.3%
African American7338
 47.9%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian716
 128.6%
Hispanic2750
 85.2%
Pacific Islander00
White503416
 17.3%
Two or More Races4322
 48.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients21.4%13.7%
 7.7%


Schools Near Penn Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about Penn Elementary School

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

Middle : North Central Junior High School
High : Liberty High School

Penn Elementary School ranks 103rd of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Penn Elementary School are 77% White, 9% Hispanic, 7% African American, 4% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 542 students attended Penn Elementary School.


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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.





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