Alexander Elementary

Summary:

Alexander Elementary is a public elementary school in Iowa City, Iowa, serving 345 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Iowa City Community School District, which is ranked 221 out of 309 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Alexander Elementary consistently underperforms the district and state in proficiency rates on the ISASP assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 6th-grade proficiency rates were 60% in ELA and 50% in Math, compared to the district's 73.1% and 67.6%, respectively. Additionally, Alexander Elementary has a very high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 58.41% to 67.54% over the past three school years, significantly higher than the surrounding schools. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 20% of Iowa elementary schools, maintaining a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

In contrast, nearby schools such as Lincoln Elementary, Bohumil Shimek Elementary, and Horace Mann Elementary consistently rank in the top 25% of Iowa elementary schools and have much higher proficiency rates on state assessments. While the challenges faced by Alexander Elementary are concerning, the data suggests that there are opportunities for improvement through targeted interventions and a focus on educational equity within the district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

3571 Sycamore St.
Iowa City, IA 52240

(319) 688-1095

District: Iowa City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
482^nd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,246

Students who attend Alexander Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Northwest Junior High School
High:	West Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.1

Number of students: 345

Racial breakdown:

African American:

47.2%

White:

23.5%

Hispanic:

16.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 67.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Alexander Elementary ranks worse than 86.5% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 17^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 17.12. (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 Alexander Elementary 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 Alexander Elementary is $15,246, which is the 6^th highest among 19 elementary schools in the Iowa City Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Alexander Elementary 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 Alexander Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2017	1.39	569^th	574	0.9%
2018	2.30	556^th	567	1.9%
2019	9.21	572^nd	603	5.1%
2021	22.63	472^nd	567	16.8%
2022	28.39	453^rd	574	21.1%
2023	26.85	453^rd	565	19.8%
2024	17.12	482^nd	557	13.5%

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 Alexander Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2016	93	173	11	62	2	0	21	362
2017	103	195	17	80	0	3	26	424
2018	115	210	20	77	1	3	26	452
2019	119	207	18	80	0	2	32	458
2020	86	182	17	39	0	2	27	353
2021	76	172	14	40	0	0	25	327
2022	83	141	11	58	0	0	26	319
2023	81	163	10	56	0	3	32	345

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 Alexander Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	362	44.0	8.2	71
2017	424	50.0	8.4	70.8
2018	452	n/a	n/a	68.8
2019	458	41.1	11.1	67.9
2020	353	29.3	12.0	66
2021	327	30.6	10.6	58.4
2022	319	33.1	9.6	60.2
2023	345	30.9	11.1	67.5

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 Alexander Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2016	362	44.0	8.2	71
2017	424	50.0	8.4	70.8
2018	452	n/a	n/a	68.8
2019	458	41.1	11.1	67.9
2020	353	29.3	12.0	66
2021	327	30.6	10.6	58.4
2022	319	33.1	9.6	60.2
2023	345	30.9	11.1	67.5

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 Alexander Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,427 (9.4%)	$13,819 (90.6%)	$15,246

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Alexander Elementary

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 572^nd of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 453^rd of 565 Elementary schools	14.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Alexander Elementary)	47.3	59.1	11.8%
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 (Alexander Elementary)	52.7	53.3	0.6%
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 (Alexander Elementary)	45.3	66.7	21.4%
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 (Alexander Elementary)	47.2	52.4	5.2%
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 (Alexander Elementary)	42.6	63.3	20.7%
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 (Alexander Elementary)	33.3	56.7	23.4%
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 (Alexander Elementary)	56	70.6	14.6%
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 (Alexander Elementary)	58	58.8	0.8%
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	458	345	24.7%
African American	207	163	21.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	18	10	44.4%
Hispanic	80	56	30%
Pacific Islander	2	3	50%
White	119	81	31.9%
Two or More Races	32	32
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	67.9%	67.5%	0.4%

Schools Near Alexander Elementary

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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Ernest Horn Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	600 Koser Ave	Iowa City	52246	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1115	442	36	12.3	58.1%	177 (40.0%)	175 (39.6%)	28 (6.3%)	34 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (6.1%)	37.6	398^th of 557 public elementary schools	28.5%		38.2	411^th of 565 public elementary schools	27.3%	13	65.2	63.6	72.5	52.3	72.7	61.8	64.7	52.3	64.7	$14,000	$687	$13,313
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 Alexander Elementary

How many students attend Alexander Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 345 students attended Alexander Elementary.

What district is Alexander Elementary in?

Iowa City Community School District

What schools do graduates of Alexander Elementary attend?

Students who attend Alexander Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Northwest Junior High School
High : West Senior High School

Is Alexander Elementary a good school?

Alexander Elementary ranks in the bottom 13.5% of Iowa elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Alexander Elementary?

Students at Alexander Elementary are 47% African American, 23% White, 16% Hispanic, 9% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

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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.