Robert Lucas Elementary School

Summary:

Robert Lucas Elementary School is a public elementary school in Iowa City, Iowa, serving 285 students in grades PK-6 as part of the Iowa City Community School District. While the school has a more diverse student population compared to nearby schools, it has consistently lower academic proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics than the district and state averages.

Robert Lucas Elementary has been ranked in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools for several years, maintaining a 1- or 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's 3rd-grade ELA proficiency rate was 52.6% in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to 66% for the district and 64.2% for the state. Additionally, Robert Lucas has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 39.16% to 47% over the past three school years.

While the student-teacher ratio at Robert Lucas is comparable to or better than nearby schools, the combination of lower academic performance and higher rates of students from low-income families suggests the school may face unique challenges that impact student learning and achievement. Further investigation into the school's specific programs, resources, and support systems may be warranted to identify areas for improvement and support student success.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

830 Southlawn Dr
Iowa City, IA 52245

(319) 688-1140

District: Iowa City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
420^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,649

Students who attend Robert Lucas Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Southeast Junior High School
High:	Iowa City High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.4

Number of students: 285

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.8%

African American:

30.9%

Hispanic:

10.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 43.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Robert Lucas Elementary School ranks worse than 75.4% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 12^th among 19 ranked elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 34.47. (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 Robert Lucas Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Iowa City Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Robert Lucas Elementary School is $14,649, which is the 7^th highest among 19 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Robert Lucas 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.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Robert Lucas Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	33.22	505^th	626	19.3%
2013	26.18	540^th	624	13.5%
2014	21.13	525^th	603	12.9%
2015	12.13	562^nd	616	8.8%
2016	15.94	529^th	599	11.7%
2017	23.37	483^rd	574	15.9%
2018	21.53	481^st	567	15.2%
2019	33.48	450^th	603	25.4%
2021	27.52	456^th	567	19.6%
2022	31.60	440^th	574	23.3%
2023	47.58	347^th	565	38.6%
2024	34.47	420^th	557	24.6%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a teacher
Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Robert Lucas Elementary reported the greatest increase in reading achievement scores in the Iowa City School District for the 2017-2018 School year. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Robert Lucas Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	481	10	7	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	505
1989	460	15	11	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	494
1990	454	22	10	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	494
1991	456	20	8	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	493
1992	449	20	16	10	5	n/a	n/a	0	500
1993	468	20	13	9	5	n/a	n/a	0	515
1994	452	21	13	14	5	n/a	n/a	0	505
1995	399	21	12	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	447
1996	399	21	12	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	447
1997	395	20	12	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	439
1998	377	17	14	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	418
1999	336	18	15	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	384
2000	346	33	15	17	0	n/a	n/a	-21	390
2001	315	34	13	25	3	n/a	n/a	0	390
2002	316	39	13	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	393
2003	316	39	13	22	3	n/a	n/a	0	393
2004	314	45	13	23	3	n/a	n/a	0	398
2005	317	63	13	27	3	n/a	n/a	0	423
2006	304	77	15	36	2	n/a	n/a	0	434
2007	283	82	17	42	3	n/a	n/a	0	427
2008	284	63	21	41	4	n/a	n/a	0	413
2009	275	63	20	61	4	n/a	n/a	0	423
2010	268	62	17	65	3	0	0	0	415
2011	253	69	15	72	2	0	0	0	411
2012	243	77	14	91	5	0	10	0	440
2013	226	85	18	81	5	0	12	0	427
2014	214	85	14	91	3	0	20	0	427
2015	195	81	10	98	4	0	15	0	403
2016	195	101	13	106	1	0	21	0	437
2017	197	97	13	101	3	2	25	0	438
2018	207	102	14	101	0	1	30	0	455
2019	202	99	22	97	0	0	34	0	454
2020	186	108	3	43	1	0	21	0	362
2021	157	95	7	29	1	0	20	0	309
2022	139	93	2	27	2	0	20	0	283
2023	139	88	3	29	1	0	25	0	285

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 Robert Lucas Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	505	24.0	21.0	7.9
1989	494	21.7	22.7	6.3
1990	494	21.7	22.7	7.1
1991	493	22.9	21.5	10.8
1992	500	23.0	21.7	8.4
1993	515	23.5	21.9	11.8
1994	505	23.5	21.5	10.1
1995	447	21.5	20.8	8.1
1996	447	21.5	20.8	8.1
1997	439	23.0	19.1	10
1998	418	22.0	19.0	11
1999	384	21.0	18.3	19.5
2000	390	18.0	21.7	19
2001	390	20.2	19.3	20.8
2002	393	24.8	15.8	22.1
2003	393	24.8	15.8	22.1
2004	398	27.0	14.7	30.2
2005	423	28.0	15.1	33.6
2006	434	29.6	14.7	33.9
2007	427	29.6	14.4	36.1
2008	413	28.5	14.5	31.5
2009	423	28.0	15.1	38.5
2010	415	28.5	14.5	40
2011	411	30.6	13.3	45.3
2012	440	27.6	15.9	46.8
2013	427	30.0	14.2	47.3
2014	427	29.1	14.6	54.3
2015	403	32.0	12.5	57.1
2016	437	29.0	15.0	61.1
2017	438	33.5	13.0	59.8
2018	455	36.8	12.3	56.7
2019	454	35.9	12.6	57.5
2020	362	30.7	11.7	45.6
2021	309	19.4	15.8	39.2
2022	283	25.4	11.1	47
2023	285	24.9	11.4	43.5

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 Robert Lucas Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	505	24.0	21.0	7.9
1989	494	21.7	22.7	6.3
1990	494	21.7	22.7	7.1
1991	493	22.9	21.5	10.8
1992	500	23.0	21.7	8.4
1993	515	23.5	21.9	11.8
1994	505	23.5	21.5	10.1
1995	447	21.5	20.8	8.1
1996	447	21.5	20.8	8.1
1997	439	23.0	19.1	10
1998	418	22.0	19.0	11
1999	384	21.0	18.3	19.5
2000	390	18.0	21.7	19
2001	390	20.2	19.3	20.8
2002	393	24.8	15.8	22.1
2003	393	24.8	15.8	22.1
2004	398	27.0	14.7	30.2
2005	423	28.0	15.1	33.6
2006	434	29.6	14.7	33.9
2007	427	29.6	14.4	36.1
2008	413	28.5	14.5	31.5
2009	423	28.0	15.1	38.5
2010	415	28.5	14.5	40
2011	411	30.6	13.3	45.3
2012	440	27.6	15.9	46.8
2013	427	30.0	14.2	47.3
2014	427	29.1	14.6	54.3
2015	403	32.0	12.5	57.1
2016	437	29.0	15.0	61.1
2017	438	33.5	13.0	59.8
2018	455	36.8	12.3	56.7
2019	454	35.9	12.6	57.5
2020	362	30.7	11.7	45.6
2021	309	19.4	15.8	39.2
2022	283	25.4	11.1	47
2023	285	24.9	11.4	43.5

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 Robert Lucas Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,493 (10.2%)	$13,155 (89.8%)	$14,649

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Robert Lucas 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 450^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 347^th of 565 Elementary schools	13.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Robert Lucas Elementary School)	52.6	48	4.6%
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 (Robert Lucas Elementary School)	70.2	64	6.2%
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 (Robert Lucas Elementary School)	45.8	76.5	30.7%
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 (Robert Lucas Elementary School)	44.9	82.4	37.5%
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 (Robert Lucas Elementary School)	56.2	68.4	12.2%
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 (Robert Lucas Elementary School)	71.2	71.1	0.1%
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 (Robert Lucas Elementary School)	63	73.2	10.2%
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 (Robert Lucas Elementary School)	75.3	66.7	8.6%
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	454	285	37.2%
African American	99	88	11.1%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	22	3	86.4%
Hispanic	97	29	70.1%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	202	139	31.2%
Two or More Races	34	25	26.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57.5%	43.5%	14%

Schools Near Robert Lucas 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
Robert Lucas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	830 Southlawn Dr	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1140	285	25	11.4	43.5%	139 (48.8%)	88 (30.9%)	29 (10.2%)	3 (1.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (8.8%)	34.5	420^th of 557 public elementary schools	24.6%		47.6	347^th of 565 public elementary schools	38.6%	73	52.6	51.7	81.3	69.8	55.3	48.3	81.3	48.8	71.9	$14,649	$1,493	$13,155
Helen Lemme Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3100 Washington St	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1125	391	25	15.6	34.8%	256 (65.5%)	32 (8.2%)	74 (18.9%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (6.6%)	60.7	245^th of 557 public elementary schools	56.0%		60.5	243^rd of 565 public elementary schools	57.0%	2	71.1	76.1	76.7	66.7	80.0	80.4	75.0	77.8	65.0	$12,605	$204	$12,400
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	1355 DeForest Avenue	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1165	246	25	9.8	65.0%	84 (34.1%)	63 (25.6%)	79 (32.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.9%)	23.3	462^nd of 557 public elementary schools	17.1%		21.5	474^th of 565 public elementary schools	16.1%	12	58.3	52.4	61.3	66.7	66.7	28.6	64.5	47.6	48.4	$15,834	$1,165	$14,669
Herbert Hoover Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1355 Barrington Rd	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1110	504	39	13.0	48.2%	232 (46.0%)	87 (17.3%)	138 (27.4%)	24 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.6%)	55.5	297^th of 557 public elementary schools	46.7%		54.1	292^nd of 565 public elementary schools	48.3%	5	75.0	72.2	78.7	76.6	76.2	70.4	73.8	59.4	63.9
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	K-6	1130 Seymour Ave	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1135	385	32	12.1	57.4%	177 (46.0%)	104 (27.0%)	69 (17.9%)	5 (1.3%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	28 (7.3%)	37	401^st of 557 public elementary schools	28.0%		40.4	394^th of 565 public elementary schools	30.3%	7	62.5	65.5	66.0	73.2	54.7	56.9	64.0	80.5	60.0	$13,112	$279	$12,833
Grant Wood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1930 Lakeside Dr	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1180	391	35	11.1	73.1%	94 (24.0%)	189 (48.3%)	79 (20.2%)	4 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	19 (4.9%)	7.9	520^th of 557 public elementary schools	6.6%		6.7	533^rd of 565 public elementary schools	5.7%	13	42.5	44.9	58.0	52.8	55.0	34.7	42.0	37.7	44.0	$15,646	$1,067	$14,579
Horace Mann Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	521 N Dodge St	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1145	213	17	12.5	35.2%	147 (69.0%)	26 (12.2%)	24 (11.3%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	12 (5.6%)	49.5	333^rd of 557 public elementary schools	40.2%		56.5	271^st of 565 public elementary schools	52.0%	62	69.7	67.7	67.9	81.5	69.7	51.6	71.4	77.8	67.9	$16,025	$649	$15,377
Alexander Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3571 Sycamore St.	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1095	345	31	11.1	67.5%	81 (23.5%)	163 (47.2%)	56 (16.2%)	10 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	32 (9.3%)	17.1	482^nd of 557 public elementary schools	13.5%		26.8	453^rd of 565 public elementary schools	19.8%	29	55.2	59.5	62.8	60.0	51.7	50.0	55.8	50.0	41.9	$15,246	$1,427	$13,819
Bohumil Shimek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1400 Grissel Place	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1160	214	17	12.2	20.1%	157 (73.4%)	19 (8.9%)	11 (5.1%)	10 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (7.9%)	75.1	111^th of 557 public elementary schools	80.1%		73.8	129^th of 565 public elementary schools	77.2%	18	80.0	73.7	87.9	91.3	88.0	65.0	81.8	73.9	78.8	$14,044	$230	$13,813
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	K-6	300 Teeters Court	Iowa City	52246	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1130	223	16	13.9	31.8%	122 (54.7%)	47 (21.1%)	18 (8.1%)	18 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	15 (6.7%)	75.9	105^th of 557 public elementary schools	81.1%		77	108^th of 565 public elementary schools	80.9%	3	70.6	82.6	93.1	84.0	79.4	82.6	89.7	72.0	89.7	$13,259	$202	$13,057

Frequently Asked Questions about Robert Lucas Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Robert Lucas Elementary School?

Students at Robert Lucas Elementary School are 49% White, 31% African American, 10% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Robert Lucas Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 285 students attended Robert Lucas Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Robert Lucas Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Robert Lucas Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southeast Junior High School
High : Iowa City High School

What district is Robert Lucas Elementary School in?

Iowa City Community School District

Is Robert Lucas Elementary School a good school?

Robert Lucas Elementary School ranks in the bottom 24.6% of Iowa elementary schools.

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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.