James Elementary School

Summary:

James Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Ottumwa, Iowa, serving 229 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Ottumwa Community School District, which is ranked 288 out of 309 school districts in Iowa and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools, James Elementary has a more diverse student population, with 38.43% White, 15.72% African American, 26.2% Hispanic, 1.75% Asian, 0.44% Native American, 13.54% Pacific Islander, and 3.93% two or more races. However, the school's racial diversity has become less pronounced in recent years, with the percentage of White students increasing from 37.87% in 2020-2021 to 44.06% in 2021-2022. Academically, James Elementary's performance on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) is generally lower than the district and state averages, and the school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking of 527 out of 557 schools in the 2023-2024 school year.

The high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch at James Elementary, 63.76% in the 2022-2023 school year, suggests potential socioeconomic challenges that may be impacting the school's academic performance. In comparison, nearby schools like Eisenhower Elementary and Horace Mann Elementary have significantly higher academic performance and school rankings, as well as lower free and reduced lunch rates.

Detail:

Public K-5

1001 N Benton
Ottumwa, IA 52501

(641) 684-5411

District: Ottumwa Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
527^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,974

Students who attend James Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Evans Middle School
High:	Ottumwa High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 229

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.4%

Hispanic:

26.2%

African American:

15.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63.8%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details James Elementary School ranks worse than 94.6% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Ottumwa Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.01. (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 James Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Ottumwa Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at James Elementary School is $13,974, which is the 2^nd highest among 5 elementary schools in the Ottumwa Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Ottumwa Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Ottumwa Community School District 288^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for James Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	4.85	610^th	626	2.6%
2013	21.43	555^th	624	11.1%
2014	16.20	539^th	603	10.6%
2015	20.32	525^th	616	14.8%
2016	13.21	542^nd	599	9.5%
2017	9.74	530^th	574	7.7%
2018	5.82	540^th	567	4.8%
2019	36.24	434^th	603	28.0%
2021	16.97	496^th	567	12.5%
2022	19.49	491^st	574	14.5%
2023	11.37	517^th	565	8.5%
2024	7.01	527^th	557	5.4%

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 Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	236	3	2	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	241
1989	221	1	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	223
1990	240	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	241
1991	223	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	223
1992	224	4	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	228
1993	226	6	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	232
1994	240	5	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	245
1995	207	10	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	217
1996	207	10	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	217
1997	228	7	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	238
1998	239	18	2	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	266
1999	216	10	3	9	10	n/a	n/a	0	248
2000	240	16	2	7	2	n/a	n/a	-12	255
2001	202	13	4	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	231
2002	202	18	2	69	0	n/a	n/a	0	291
2003	202	18	2	69	0	n/a	n/a	0	291
2004	179	17	4	50	0	n/a	n/a	0	250
2005	131	13	3	65	0	n/a	n/a	0	212
2006	141	13	3	88	0	n/a	n/a	0	245
2007	154	16	3	83	0	n/a	n/a	0	256
2008	130	12	2	90	0	n/a	n/a	0	234
2009	126	20	2	85	0	n/a	n/a	0	233
2010	123	17	1	75	1	0	2	0	219
2011	127	19	1	76	2	0	3	0	228
2012	123	26	1	71	0	0	4	0	225
2013	116	30	0	66	0	0	0	0	212
2014	117	38	0	55	0	0	2	0	212
2015	124	27	0	56	1	0	1	0	209
2016	118	31	0	56	2	4	2	0	213
2017	100	30	1	58	0	6	1	0	196
2018	84	37	1	56	1	3	3	0	185
2019	93	45	1	48	1	14	3	0	205
2020	84	53	1	63	1	17	5	0	224
2021	89	34	3	75	1	27	6	0	235
2022	89	28	4	58	1	10	12	0	202
2023	88	36	4	60	1	31	9	0	229

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	241	15.6	15.4	56.4
1989	223	14.4	15.4	54.3
1990	241	14.6	16.5	69.7
1991	223	14.5	15.3	56.5
1992	228	13.0	17.5	57.5
1993	232	12.0	19.3	69.8
1994	245	12.0	20.4	64.5
1995	217	13.5	16.1	73.7
1996	217	13.5	16.1	73.7
1997	238	13.5	17.6	67.6
1998	266	15.5	17.2	65
1999	248	15.5	16.0	64.9
2000	255	17.0	15.0	67
2001	231	18.0	12.8	69.3
2002	291	16.0	18.2	84.9
2003	291	16.0	18.2	84.9
2004	250	16.0	15.6	43.6
2005	212	19.9	10.7	87.7
2006	245	18.1	13.5	87.8
2007	256	20.0	12.8	86.3
2008	234	18.2	12.9	86.3
2009	233	18.7	12.5	90.1
2010	219	17.9	12.1	46.6
2011	228	17.0	13.4	72.8
2012	225	18.2	12.3	75.6
2013	212	17.2	12.2	79.7
2014	212	21.4	9.8	75.9
2015	209	19.0	11.0	62.7
2016	213	18.0	11.8	60.6
2017	196	18.2	10.7	40.8
2018	185	16.5	11.2	55.7
2019	205	14.3	14.3	76.6
2020	224	16.9	13.2	67.4
2021	235	15.9	14.7	17.4
2022	202	17.9	11.2	70.8
2023	229	16.9	13.5	63.8

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 Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	241	15.6	15.4	56.4
1989	223	14.4	15.4	54.3
1990	241	14.6	16.5	69.7
1991	223	14.5	15.3	56.5
1992	228	13.0	17.5	57.5
1993	232	12.0	19.3	69.8
1994	245	12.0	20.4	64.5
1995	217	13.5	16.1	73.7
1996	217	13.5	16.1	73.7
1997	238	13.5	17.6	67.6
1998	266	15.5	17.2	65
1999	248	15.5	16.0	64.9
2000	255	17.0	15.0	67
2001	231	18.0	12.8	69.3
2002	291	16.0	18.2	84.9
2003	291	16.0	18.2	84.9
2004	250	16.0	15.6	43.6
2005	212	19.9	10.7	87.7
2006	245	18.1	13.5	87.8
2007	256	20.0	12.8	86.3
2008	234	18.2	12.9	86.3
2009	233	18.7	12.5	90.1
2010	219	17.9	12.1	46.6
2011	228	17.0	13.4	72.8
2012	225	18.2	12.3	75.6
2013	212	17.2	12.2	79.7
2014	212	21.4	9.8	75.9
2015	209	19.0	11.0	62.7
2016	213	18.0	11.8	60.6
2017	196	18.2	10.7	40.8
2018	185	16.5	11.2	55.7
2019	205	14.3	14.3	76.6
2020	224	16.9	13.2	67.4
2021	235	15.9	14.7	17.4
2022	202	17.9	11.2	70.8
2023	229	16.9	13.5	63.8

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 Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,218 (8.7%)	$12,755 (91.3%)	$13,974

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on James 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 434^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 517^th of 565 Elementary schools	19.5%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (James Elementary School)	76.7	28.9	47.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ottumwa Community School District)	56.6	48.8	7.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (James Elementary School)	93.3	36.8	56.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ottumwa Community School District)	66.4	62.8	3.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (James Elementary School)	54.8	74.1	19.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ottumwa Community School District)	56.5	62.4	5.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (James Elementary School)	59.5	44.4	15.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ottumwa Community School District)	61.7	56.6	5.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (James Elementary School)	41.9	51.3	9.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ottumwa Community School District)	53.8	52.4	1.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (James Elementary School)	62.8	51.3	11.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ottumwa Community School District)	59.9	52.4	7.5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	69.4	71.3	1.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	205	229	11.7%
African American	45	36	20%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	1	4	300%
Hispanic	48	60	25%
Pacific Islander	14	31	121.4%
White	93	88	5.4%
Two or More Races	3	9	200%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	76.6%	63.8%	12.8%

Schools Near James 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 Elementary School	Public	K-5	1001 N Benton	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-5411	229	17	13.5	63.8%	88 (38.4%)	36 (15.7%)	60 (26.2%)	4 (1.7%)	1 (0.4%)	31 (13.5%)	9 (3.9%)	7	527^th of 557 public elementary schools	5.4%		11.4	517^th of 565 public elementary schools	8.5%	10	48.3	38.2	53.3		58.6	35.3	26.7		30.0	$13,974	$1,218	$12,755
Horace Mann Elementary School	Public	K-5	1523 N Court St	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-4661	240	16	15.0	38.8%	149 (62.1%)	26 (10.8%)	41 (17.1%)	6 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.8%)	4 (1.7%)	42.9	376^th of 557 public elementary schools	32.5%		48.5	337^th of 565 public elementary schools	40.4%	39	39.5	82.9	66.7		60.5	82.9	61.9		61.9	$13,776	$1,167	$12,609
Wilson Elementary School	Public	K-5	1102 E. 4th St.	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-5441	345	28	12.3	60.0%	119 (34.5%)	35 (10.1%)	113 (32.8%)	10 (2.9%)	4 (1.2%)	57 (16.5%)	7 (2.0%)	26.3	453^rd of 557 public elementary schools	18.7%		14.1	511^th of 565 public elementary schools	9.6%	58	64.7	52.9	60.0		72.5	31.4	64.4		42.2	$13,451	$1,167	$12,284
Eisenhower Elementary School	Public	K-5	2624 Marilyn Rd	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 684-5617	238	16	14.9	27.3%	198 (83.2%)	10 (4.2%)	17 (7.1%)	3 (1.3%)	2 (0.8%)	6 (2.5%)	1 (0.4%)	66.3	188^th of 557 public elementary schools	66.2%		69.2	175^th of 565 public elementary schools	69.0%	13	73.0	88.4	67.7		81.1	81.4	75.0		58.1	$12,778	$1,167	$11,611
Douma Elementary School	Public	1-2	307 W. Mary St.	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 684-4668	330	23	14.4	50.3%	164 (49.7%)	16 (4.8%)	89 (27.0%)	18 (5.5%)	1 (0.3%)	37 (11.2%)	5 (1.5%)								(n/a)										$14,254	$1,164	$13,090
Pickwick Early Childhood Center	Public	PK-K	1306 W Williams	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(641) 684-7179	569	26	21.9	30.9%	287 (50.4%)	50 (8.8%)	156 (27.4%)	24 (4.2%)	2 (0.4%)	38 (6.7%)	12 (2.1%)								(n/a)
Liberty Elementary School	Public	3-6	50 Traxler Drive	Ottumwa	52501	Wapello County	Ottumwa Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 682-4502	430	37	11.6	58.1%	212 (49.3%)	22 (5.1%)	113 (26.3%)	23 (5.3%)	2 (0.5%)	56 (13.0%)	2 (0.5%)	7.5	522^nd of 557 public elementary schools	6.3%		7.8	528^th of 565 public elementary schools	6.5%	6	42.9	48.7	45.9	56.8	62.9	45.2	48.9	46.6	31.9	$13,867	$1,196	$12,671
Cardinal Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	5414 Hwy 16	Eldon	52554	Wapello County	Cardinal Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 652-3591	514	37	14.0	64.6%	453 (88.1%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (8.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	17 (3.3%)	31.1	439^th of 557 public elementary schools	21.2%		37.2	418^th of 565 public elementary schools	26.0%	21	43.5	76.5			55.3	70.4				$10,997	$435	$10,563
Blakesburg Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	407 S Wilson	Blakesburg	52536	Wapello County	Eddyville-Blakesburg- Fremont Central School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 938-2203	119	12	9.5	32.8%	112 (94.1%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.4%)	39	392^nd of 557 public elementary schools	29.6%		36.2	424^th of 565 public elementary schools	25.0%	32		46.7	69.2	66.7		73.3	76.9	58.3	61.5	$13,338	$575	$12,764
Fremont Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	525 East Main Street	Fremont	52561	Mahaska County	Eddyville-Blakesburg- Fremont Central School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 933-4211	126	10	12.6	42.9%	113 (89.7%)	1 (0.8%)	10 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.6%)								(n/a)										$14,187	$580	$13,607

Frequently Asked Questions about James Elementary School

What district is James Elementary School in?

Ottumwa Community School District

How many students attend James Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 229 students attended James Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of James Elementary School?

Students at James Elementary School are 38% White, 26% Hispanic, 16% African American, 14% Pacific Islander, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is James Elementary School a good school?

James Elementary School ranks in the bottom 5.4% of Iowa elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of James Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Evans Middle School
High : Ottumwa High 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.