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:
503^rd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,805

Students who attend Unity Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	North Middle School
High:	North High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.9

Number of students: 521

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.2%

Hispanic:

35.5%

Two or more races:

8.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Unity Elementary School ranks worse than 90.3% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 11^th among 12 ranked elementary schools in the Sioux City Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.84. (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 Unity Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Sioux 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 Unity Elementary School is $13,805, which is the 4^th 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 269^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Unity Elementary School

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

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 Unity Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2009	210	19	19	148	12	n/a	n/a	408
2010	245	14	18	189	11	0	14	491
2011	256	15	19	169	13	0	2	474
2012	264	13	22	183	11	1	7	501
2013	256	11	22	194	10	1	17	511
2014	266	14	17	197	12	3	17	526
2015	268	10	17	209	11	1	34	550
2016	290	15	16	221	10	0	44	596
2017	277	16	11	205	5	1	43	558
2018	264	17	10	192	12	0	46	541
2019	268	29	9	192	11	1	38	548
2020	245	27	13	174	12	0	38	509
2021	224	22	12	184	13	1	42	498
2022	225	28	9	180	12	2	45	501
2023	225	40	8	185	15	4	44	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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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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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

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total 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 471^st of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 472^nd 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)	45	59.2	14.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Sioux City Community School District)	61.8	60	1.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Unity Elementary School)	55	63.4	8.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Sioux City Community School District)	69.2	67.9	1.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Unity Elementary School)	74.3	45.9	28.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Sioux City Community School District)	63.4	66.2	2.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Unity Elementary School)	72.9	38.8	34.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Sioux City Community School District)	68.8	64.1	4.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Unity Elementary School)	57.5	68.1	10.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Sioux City Community School District)	62.6	63.7	1.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Unity Elementary School)	58.6	58.3	0.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Sioux City Community School District)	68	61.9	6.1%
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	548	521	4.9%
African American	29	40	37.9%
American Indian	11	15	36.4%
Asian	9	8	11.1%
Hispanic	192	185	3.6%
Pacific Islander	1	4	300%
White	268	225	16%
Two or More Races	38	44	15.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57.5%	73.5%	16%

Schools Near Unity 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 Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Unity Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1901 Unity Avenue	Sioux City	51105	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 279-6839	521	37	13.9	73.5%	225 (43.2%)	40 (7.7%)	185 (35.5%)	8 (1.5%)	15 (2.9%)	4 (0.8%)	44 (8.4%)	11.8	503^rd of 557 public elementary schools	9.7%		21.7	472^nd of 565 public elementary schools	16.5%	31	48.4	68.2	45.0	45.2	56.7	41.3	27.5	$13,805	$1,113	$12,692
Irving Elementary School	Public	K-5	901 Floyd Blvd	Sioux City	51105	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 279-6834	634	50	12.6	93.5%	21 (3.3%)	44 (6.9%)	532 (83.9%)	3 (0.5%)	20 (3.2%)	4 (0.6%)	10 (1.6%)	10	514^th of 557 public elementary schools	7.7%		6.1	537^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.0%	23	51.3	51.1	43.3	66.3	51.1	33.3	23.3	$12,850	$1,170	$11,680
Bryant Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3040 Jones Street	Sioux City	51104	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 279-6819	571	42	13.5	74.4%	179 (31.3%)	106 (18.6%)	196 (34.3%)	21 (3.7%)	14 (2.5%)	14 (2.5%)	41 (7.2%)	33.5	423^rd of 557 public elementary schools	24.1%		28.6	446^th of 565 public elementary schools	21.1%	23	66.2	64.2	63.6	72.0	55.6	59.1	51.5	$13,836	$1,171	$12,665
Leeds Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3919 Jefferson St	Sioux City	51108	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 239-7034	606	43	13.9	67.5%	290 (47.9%)	55 (9.1%)	189 (31.2%)	13 (2.1%)	11 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	46 (7.6%)	36.4	404^th of 557 public elementary schools	27.5%		38.2	410^th of 565 public elementary schools	27.4%	6	63.3	74.0	57.1	71.4	70.8	56.0	46.2	$13,803	$1,078	$12,724
Spalding Park Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4101 Stone Avenue	Sioux City	51106	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 274-4043	652	53	12.2	68.6%	276 (42.3%)	75 (11.5%)	208 (31.9%)	4 (0.6%)	16 (2.5%)	28 (4.3%)	45 (6.9%)	36.2	409^th of 557 public elementary schools	26.6%		30.3	436^th of 565 public elementary schools	22.8%	27	52.0	81.4	59.1	70.1	81.4	47.3	46.2	$13,633	$1,329	$12,304
Perry Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	3601 Country Club Blvd	Sioux City	51104	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 279-6836	671	40	16.8	54.2%	381 (56.8%)	63 (9.4%)	148 (22.1%)	14 (2.1%)	13 (1.9%)	10 (1.5%)	42 (6.3%)	65.5	195^th of 557 public elementary schools	65.0%		69.5	174^th of 565 public elementary schools	69.2%	21	66.3	70.0	86.5	73.7	73.0	83.7	76.9	$12,156	$325	$11,830
Hunt Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1114 W. 27th St	Sioux City	51103	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 279-6833	392	27	14.3	85.7%	49 (12.5%)	52 (13.3%)	219 (55.9%)	7 (1.8%)	17 (4.3%)	25 (6.4%)	23 (5.9%)	15	490^th of 557 public elementary schools	12.0%		16.9	495^th of 565 public elementary schools	12.4%	5	40.7	67.9	38.9	55.6	62.5	53.7	31.5	$14,662	$1,309	$13,352
Liberty Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1623 Rebecca Street	Sioux City	51103	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 279-6845	645	48	13.4	85.3%	85 (13.2%)	79 (12.2%)	311 (48.2%)	16 (2.5%)	50 (7.8%)	50 (7.8%)	54 (8.4%)	12.2	501^st of 557 public elementary schools	10.1%		16.6	497^th of 565 public elementary schools	12.0%	4	42.1	62.9	53.6	53.7	56.2	46.4	31.0	$13,723	$1,309	$12,414
Morningside Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3601 Bushnell Ave	Sioux City	51106	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 274-4048	652	46	14.0	67.8%	335 (51.4%)	68 (10.4%)	168 (25.8%)	9 (1.4%)	10 (1.5%)	19 (2.9%)	43 (6.6%)	33	429^th of 557 public elementary schools	23.0%		29.1	441^st of 565 public elementary schools	21.9%	12	57.4	71.0	63.5	80.2	62.0	49.6	44.3	$12,704	$969	$11,735
Sunnyside Elementary School	Public	3-5	2700 S Maple St	Sioux City	51106	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 274-4047	262	16	16.5	39.3%	187 (71.4%)	11 (4.2%)	31 (11.8%)	7 (2.7%)	3 (1.1%)	3 (1.1%)	20 (7.6%)	85.2	35^th of 557 public elementary schools	93.7%		85.8	33^rd of 565 public elementary schools	94.2%	2	85.2	80.0	89.7	91.4	82.5	90.8	79.3	$12,202	$292	$11,910

Frequently Asked Questions about Unity Elementary School

Is Unity Elementary School a good school?

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

What is the racial makeup of 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.

What schools do graduates of Unity Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : North Middle School
High : North High School

What district is Unity Elementary School in?

Sioux City Community School District

How many students attend Unity Elementary School?

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