James Van Allen Elementary School

Q: Is James Van Allen Elementary School a good school?

James Van Allen Elementary School ranks 349 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

James Van Allen Elementary School is a public elementary school in North Liberty, Iowa, serving 432 students in grades PK-6 as part of the Iowa City Community School District. The school consistently outperforms the district and state in academic assessments, with strong test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 84.5% of 3rd graders at James Van Allen were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 72.7% for the district and 76.3% for the state.

James Van Allen Elementary has a more diverse student population compared to some nearby schools, with a racial makeup of 63.43% White, 12.73% African American, 12.27% Hispanic, and 7.41% Asian in the 2022-2023 school year. This diversity is higher than schools like Christine Grant Elementary and Penn Elementary, which have student populations that are over 75% White. Additionally, James Van Allen has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (27.31% in 2022-2023) compared to some nearby schools, such as Central Elementary (53.2%) and Kirkwood Elementary (69.14%).

Overall, James Van Allen Elementary School stands out as a high-performing school within the Iowa City Community School District, with strong academic results, a diverse student population, and a relatively low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch. These factors contribute to the school's success and could provide valuable insights for the district and other nearby schools.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

170 Abigail Ave
North Liberty, IA 52317

(319) 688-1185

District: Iowa City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
349^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,084

Students who attend James Van Allen Elementary School usually attend:

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

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 427

Racial breakdown:

White:

60.7%

Hispanic:

14.5%

African American:

12.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 31.1%

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Compare James Van Allen Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details James Van Allen Elementary School ranks worse than 62.7% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 9^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 47.17. (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 Student population at James Van Allen Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (60.7%), Hispanic (14.5%), African American (12.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 31.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at James Van Allen Elementary School is 14.2. 13 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare James Van Allen Elementary School employs 29.8 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Van Allen Elementary School is $12,084, which is the lowest among 19 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

James Van Allen 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 James Van Allen Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	53.08	358^th	626	42.8%
2013	62.90	244^th	624	60.9%
2014	60.78	267^th	603	55.7%
2015	77.13	95^th	616	84.6%
2016	72.31	143^rd	599	76.1%
2017	63.20	242^nd	574	57.8%
2018	76.53	98^th	567	82.7%
2019	74.29	141^st	603	76.6%
2021	59.50	244^th	567	57.0%
2022	44.69	363^rd	574	36.8%
2023	53.37	302^nd	565	46.5%
2024	47.17	349^th	557	37.3%

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 James Van Allen Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2006	354	22	11	11	3	n/a	n/a	401
2007	429	33	13	23	2	n/a	n/a	500
2008	486	37	18	28	2	n/a	n/a	571
2009	547	40	20	33	3	n/a	n/a	643
2010	590	35	20	34	3	0	1	683
2011	384	27	17	14	3	0	0	445
2012	403	20	15	24	0	1	8	471
2013	413	24	19	27	1	0	15	499
2014	430	26	21	28	0	0	18	523
2015	460	33	28	26	1	0	12	560
2016	469	39	31	24	0	0	13	576
2017	419	42	34	34	1	0	14	544
2018	419	39	45	37	1	0	24	565
2019	412	43	43	42	1	0	32	573
2020	350	50	39	44	0	0	26	509
2021	307	38	39	41	0	0	30	455
2022	266	39	25	50	0	0	18	398
2023	274	55	32	53	0	0	18	432
2024	259	52	33	62	0	0	21	427

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 James Van Allen Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	401	23.0	17.4	19.7
2007	500	27.8	18.0	20.6
2008	571	31.9	17.9	19.4
2009	643	33.5	19.2	20.5
2010	683	34.3	19.8	22.1
2011	445	26.0	17.0	22
2012	471	24.4	19.2	17.8
2013	499	29.1	17.1	18.8
2014	523	29.8	17.5	18.9
2015	560	29.0	19.3	17
2016	576	31.0	18.5	18.2
2017	544	31.8	17.1	22.4
2018	565	29.7	19.0	21.6
2019	573	30.8	18.5	22.7
2020	509	29.4	17.2	23.6
2021	455	31.8	14.2	23.3
2022	398	25.9	15.3	24.6
2023	432	26.9	16.0	27.3
2024	427	29.8	14.2	31.1

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 James Van Allen Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	401	23.0	17.4	19.7
2007	500	27.8	18.0	20.6
2008	571	31.9	17.9	19.4
2009	643	33.5	19.2	20.5
2010	683	34.3	19.8	22.1
2011	445	26.0	17.0	22
2012	471	24.4	19.2	17.8
2013	499	29.1	17.1	18.8
2014	523	29.8	17.5	18.9
2015	560	29.0	19.3	17
2016	576	31.0	18.5	18.2
2017	544	31.8	17.1	22.4
2018	565	29.7	19.0	21.6
2019	573	30.8	18.5	22.7
2020	509	29.4	17.2	23.6
2021	455	31.8	14.2	23.3
2022	398	25.9	15.3	24.6
2023	432	26.9	16.0	27.3
2024	427	29.8	14.2	31.1

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 James Van Allen Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$214 (1.8%)	$11,870 (98.2%)	$12,084

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James Van Allen 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 141^st of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 302^nd of 565 Elementary schools	30.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (James Van Allen Elementary School)	65.2	63.6	1.6%
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 (James Van Allen Elementary School)	79.7	74.2	5.5%
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 (James Van Allen Elementary School)	80	66.7	13.3%
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 (James Van Allen Elementary School)	80	70.6	9.4%
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 (James Van Allen Elementary School)	80.9	76.4	4.5%
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 (James Van Allen Elementary School)	83.8	70.9	12.9%
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 (James Van Allen Elementary School)	79	74.2	4.8%
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 (James Van Allen Elementary School)	87.7	72.6	15.1%
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	573	432	24.6%
African American	43	55	27.9%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	43	32	25.6%
Hispanic	42	53	26.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	412	274	33.5%
Two or More Races	32	18	43.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	22.7%	27.3%	4.6%

Schools Near James Van Allen 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 James Van Allen Elementary School

What schools do graduates of James Van Allen Elementary School attend?

Students who attend James Van Allen Elementary School usually go on to attend:

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

What is the racial makeup of James Van Allen Elementary School?

Students at James Van Allen Elementary School are 61% White, 15% Hispanic, 12% African American, 8% Asian, 5% Two or more races.

What district is James Van Allen Elementary School in?

Iowa City Community School District

How many students attend James Van Allen Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 427 students attended James Van Allen Elementary School.

Is James Van Allen Elementary School a good school?

James Van Allen Elementary School ranks 349^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

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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.