Unity Elementary School

Summary:

Unity Elementary School is a public elementary school in Sioux City, Iowa, serving 521 students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Sioux City Community School District, which is ranked 269 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools, Unity Elementary School has a more diverse student population, with a higher percentage of Hispanic and Native American students. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress), is generally lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, the percentage of 5th-grade students proficient or better in English Language Arts (45%) and Mathematics (41.3%) is significantly lower than the district (61.4% and 58.2%, respectively) and state (69% and 70.7%, respectively) averages. Additionally, Unity Elementary School has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 73.51% in 2022-2023 to 82.53% in 2020-2021, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families compared to nearby schools.

Despite the challenges, Unity Elementary School has consistently been in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools, with a ranking of 503 out of 557 in 2023-2024 and a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. The data suggests that the school could benefit from targeted interventions and support to address the academic performance gaps, particularly in English Language Arts and Mathematics, and explore strategies to engage the diverse student population and address the unique needs of the community it serves.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 1901 Unity Avenue
       Sioux City, IA  51105-2500


(712) 279-6839

District: Sioux City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
503rd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $13,805 Help


Students who attend Unity Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    North Middle School
High:    North High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.9 Help
Number of students:  521

Racial breakdown:

White:
43.2%
Hispanic:
35.5%
Two or more races:
8.4%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  73.5% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Unity Elementary School ranks worse than 90.3% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 11th among 12 ranked elementary schools in the Sioux City Community School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.84. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Unity Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Sioux City Community School District.  (See more...)
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Unity Elementary School is $13,805, which is the 4th highest among 12 elementary schools in the Sioux City Community School District.
Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Sioux City Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Sioux City Community School District 269th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Unity Elementary School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools IA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2012 46.47 412th 626 34.2%
2013 45.71 421st 624 32.5%
2014 42.97 431st 603 28.5%
2015 34.38 475th 616 22.9%
2016 44.78 401st 599 33.1%
2017 26.18 471st 574 17.9%
2018 28.81 453rd 567 20.1%
2019 29.63 471st 603 21.9%
2021 24.03 464th 567 18.2%
2022 11.43 523rd 574 8.9%
2023 21.71 472nd 565 16.5%
2024 11.84 503rd 557 9.7%
See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Unity Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Unity Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2009 210 19 19 148 12 n/a n/a 0 408
2010 245 14 18 189 11 0 14 0 491
2011 256 15 19 169 13 0 2 0 474
2012 264 13 22 183 11 1 7 0 501
2013 256 11 22 194 10 1 17 0 511
2014 266 14 17 197 12 3 17 0 526
2015 268 10 17 209 11 1 34 0 550
2016 290 15 16 221 10 0 44 0 596
2017 277 16 11 205 5 1 43 0 558
2018 264 17 10 192 12 0 46 0 541
2019 268 29 9 192 11 1 38 0 548
2020 245 27 13 174 12 0 38 0 509
2021 224 22 12 184 13 1 42 0 498
2022 225 28 9 180 12 2 45 0 501
2023 225 40 8 185 15 4 44 0 521

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 Unity Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 408 30.9 13.2 79.9
2010 491 34.5 14.2 74.3
2011 474 37.0 12.8 80
2012 501 35.2 14.2 79.6
2013 511 34.6 14.7 82.2
2014 526 38.8 13.5 80.6
2015 550 43.0 12.7 84.5
2016 596 42.0 14.1 77
2017 558 45.5 12.2 92.1
2018 541 37.8 14.2 75
2019 548 39.8 13.7 57.5
2020 509 37.3 13.6 58
2021 498 38.7 12.8 82.5
2022 501 38.2 13.0 75.8
2023 521 37.4 13.9 73.5

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 Unity Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 408 30.9 13.2 79.9
2010 491 34.5 14.2 74.3
2011 474 37.0 12.8 80
2012 501 35.2 14.2 79.6
2013 511 34.6 14.7 82.2
2014 526 38.8 13.5 80.6
2015 550 43.0 12.7 84.5
2016 596 42.0 14.1 77
2017 558 45.5 12.2 92.1
2018 541 37.8 14.2 75
2019 548 39.8 13.7 57.5
2020 509 37.3 13.6 58
2021 498 38.7 12.8 82.5
2022 501 38.2 13.0 75.8
2023 521 37.4 13.9 73.5

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 Unity Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,113 (8.1%) $12,692 (91.9%) $13,805

Data source: Iowa Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Unity 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 471st of 603 Elementary schoolsRanks 472nd of 565 Elementary schools
 5.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Unity Elementary School)4559.2
 14.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sioux City Community School District)61.860
 1.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)65.366.3
 1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Unity Elementary School)5563.4
 8.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Sioux City Community School District)69.267.9
 1.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)71.775.3
 3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Unity Elementary School)74.345.9
 28.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Sioux City Community School District)63.466.2
 2.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)70.573.1
 2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Unity Elementary School)72.938.8
 34.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Sioux City Community School District)68.864.1
 4.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)72.572.9
 0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Unity Elementary School)57.568.1
 10.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Sioux City Community School District)62.663.7
 1.1%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)67.368.3
 1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Unity Elementary School)58.658.3
 0.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Sioux City Community School District)6861.9
 6.1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)69.471.3
 1.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students548521
 4.9%
African American2940
 37.9%
American Indian1115
 36.4%
Asian98
 11.1%
Hispanic192185
 3.6%
Pacific Islander14
 300%
White268225
 16%
Two or More Races3844
 15.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients57.5%73.5%
 16%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Unity Elementary School

Students at Unity Elementary School are 43% White, 36% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 8% African American, 3% American Indian, 2% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 521 students attended Unity Elementary School.

Unity Elementary School ranks in the bottom 9.7% of Iowa elementary schools.

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

Middle : North Middle School
High : North 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.





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