Penn Elementary School

Q: Is Penn Elementary School a good school?

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

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:
103^rd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,509

Students who attend Penn Elementary School usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 16.8

Number of students: 560

Racial breakdown:

White:

77.7%

African American:

8.0%

Hispanic:

7.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 13.2%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Penn Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Penn Elementary School ranks better than 81.5% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 2^nd among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 75.93. (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 Penn Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Iowa City Community School District. Racial makeup is: White (77.7%), African American (8%), Hispanic (7.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 13.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Penn Elementary School is 16.8, which is the highest among 19 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Penn Elementary School employs 33.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

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 221^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Penn Elementary School

Compare

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

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 Penn Elementary School

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
2024	435	45	11	40	0	0	29	0	560

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

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
2024	560	33.2	16.8	13.2

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

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
2024	560	33.2	16.8	13.2

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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 282^nd of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 85^th 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)	68.6	76.1	7.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	64.5	63.9	0.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Penn Elementary School)	76.7	90.1	13.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	72	70.2	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Penn Elementary School)	80.3	86.7	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	69.8	76	6.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Penn Elementary School)	84.2	88	3.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	69.5	72.4	2.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Penn Elementary School)	62.4	76.3	13.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	65.9	65	0.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Penn Elementary School)	63.5	77.9	14.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	69.4	67.4	2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Penn Elementary School)	61.8	88	26.2%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa City Community School District)	72.6	77	4.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.5	72.7	5.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Penn Elementary School)	80.3	88	7.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Iowa City Community School District)	78.7	74.6	4.1%
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	655	542	17.3%
African American	73	38	47.9%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	7	16	128.6%
Hispanic	27	50	85.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	503	416	17.3%
Two or More Races	43	22	48.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	21.4%	13.7%	7.7%

Schools Near Penn 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
Penn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	230 N Dubuque St	North Liberty	52317	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1150	560	33	16.8	13.2%	435 (77.7%)	45 (8.0%)	40 (7.1%)	11 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.2%)	75.9	103^rd of 557 public elementary schools	81.5%		79.2	85^th of 565 public elementary schools	85.0%	18	76.8	77.5	83.1	80.8	85.5	87.3	85.7	85.9	66.2	$12,509	$453	$12,055
Buford Garner Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	80 Birch Street	North Liberty	52317	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1190	449	32	14.2	37.6%	277 (61.7%)	55 (12.2%)	47 (10.5%)	9 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	58 (12.9%)	48.9	343^rd of 557 public elementary schools	38.4%		48.9	333^rd of 565 public elementary schools	41.1%	10	58.9	73.4	69.0	79.7	71.4	68.8	67.2	71.0	63.8	$12,209	$291	$11,917
Christine Grant Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1000 North Bend Drive	North Liberty	52317	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1500	521	34	15.4	16.5%	404 (77.5%)	50 (9.6%)	24 (4.6%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (6.9%)	64.8	201^st of 557 public elementary schools	63.9%		60.7	239^th of 565 public elementary schools	57.7%	38	75.7	75.3	81.5	79.3	82.4	75.3	78.0	78.2	57.3
James Van Allen Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	170 Abigail Ave	North Liberty	52317	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1185	427	30	14.2	31.1%	259 (60.7%)	52 (12.2%)	62 (14.5%)	33 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.9%)	47.2	349^th of 557 public elementary schools	37.3%		53.4	302^nd of 565 public elementary schools	46.5%	47	77.6	59.4	68.5	78.0	84.5	59.4	61.1	72.0	59.3	$12,084	$214	$11,870
North Bend Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	2230 St Andrews Drive	North Liberty	52317	Johnson County	Clear Creek Amana Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 626-3950	401	25	16.0	28.4%	253 (63.1%)	64 (16.0%)	29 (7.2%)	13 (3.2%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	39 (9.7%)								(n/a)	68.0				80.4					$26,848	$381	$26,466
Wickham Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	601 Oakdale Blvd	Coralville	52241	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1175	371	23	16.2	15.9%	226 (60.9%)	28 (7.5%)	14 (3.8%)	79 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.5%)	92.4	6^th of 557 public elementary schools	98.9%		90.6	9^th of 565 public elementary schools	98.4%	3	93.5	97.6	89.5	92.7	93.5	92.7	93.0	90.2	86.0	$12,974	$451	$12,524
Oak Hill Elementary	Public	4-5	504 N Park Road	Tiffin	52340	Johnson County	Clear Creek Amana Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 545-2248	396	30	13.3	29.3%	282 (71.2%)	46 (11.6%)	34 (8.6%)	7 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (6.8%)	58.8	264^th of 557 public elementary schools	52.6%		64.5	208^th of 565 public elementary schools	63.2%	56		83.5	69.5			76.8	71.4		60.9
Tiffin Elementary	Public	PK, KG-3	104 N. Park Rd	Tiffin	52340	Johnson County	Clear Creek Amana Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 545-2081	413	31	13.4	30.8%	262 (63.4%)	52 (12.6%)	58 (14.0%)	15 (3.6%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	22 (5.3%)								(n/a)	73.7				68.4					$27,228	$701	$26,527
Kirkwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1401 9th St	Coralville	52241	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1120	291	27	10.8	74.9%	79 (27.1%)	149 (51.2%)	35 (12.0%)	8 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (6.9%)	18.4	477^th of 557 public elementary schools	14.4%		7.6	531^st of 565 public elementary schools	6.0%	54	63.0	52.9	47.8	59.5	85.2	32.4	39.1	52.4	39.1	$15,376	$1,350	$14,026
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	501 6th St	Coralville	52241	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1100	452	36	12.5	56.0%	183 (40.5%)	135 (29.9%)	66 (14.6%)	29 (6.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (8.2%)	32.8	432^nd of 557 public elementary schools	22.4%		45.5	364^th of 565 public elementary schools	35.6%	68	60.0	69.8	55.2	64.1	63.1	71.7	63.8	65.6	55.2	$13,271	$714	$12,557

Frequently Asked Questions about Penn Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Penn Elementary School attend?

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

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

What is the racial makeup of Penn Elementary School?

Students at Penn Elementary School are 78% White, 8% African American, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What district is Penn Elementary School in?

Iowa City Community School District

Is Penn Elementary School a good school?

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

How many students attend Penn Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 560 students attended Penn Elementary School.

Rate 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.