Loess Hills Elementary

Q: Is Loess Hills Elementary a good school?

Loess Hills Elementary ranks 417 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

Summary:

Loess Hills Elementary is a public elementary school in Sioux City, Iowa, serving students from pre-kindergarten to 5th grade. The school is part of the Sioux City Community School District, which has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Loess Hills Elementary consistently outperforms the district and state in English Language Arts and Mathematics proficiency rates for grades 3-5, with 66.7% proficiency in both subjects for 3rd grade and 62.5% in ELA and 72.9% in Math for 5th grade in 2023-2024. However, the school's 5th-grade Science proficiency rate of 45.8% was lower than the district and state. Loess Hills has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 59.59% to 71.71%, indicating a higher proportion of students from low-income families. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 13.8 to 14.2.

Compared to nearby schools, Loess Hills Elementary's test scores generally outperform those of Spalding Park Elementary, Morningside Elementary, and Unity Elementary School, but lag behind Perry Creek Elementary and Riverside Elementary, which have higher proficiency rates in ELA, Math, and Science.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1717 Casselman Street
Sioux City, IA 51103

(712) 279-6843

District: Sioux City Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
417^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,241

Students who attend Loess Hills Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	West Middle School
High:	West High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 589

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

45.2%

White:

29.4%

Two or more races:

10.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 59.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Loess Hills Elementary ranks worse than 74.9% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 5^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 34.63. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (45.2%), White (29.4%), two or more races (10.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 59.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Loess Hills Elementary is 14.2. 8 elementary schools in the Sioux City Community School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Loess Hills Elementary employs 41.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Loess Hills Elementary is $13,241. 7 elementary schools in the Sioux City Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Loess Hills Elementary 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 Loess Hills Elementary

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2016	32.06	475^th	599	20.7%
2017	31.43	450^th	574	21.6%
2018	32.18	434^th	567	23.5%
2019	49.04	343^rd	603	43.1%
2021	42.31	367^th	567	35.3%
2022	37.31	409^th	574	28.7%
2023	47.05	353^rd	565	37.5%
2024	34.63	417^th	557	25.1%

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 Loess Hills Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	231	36	11	213	24	1	34	550
2016	252	37	11	231	28	3	46	608
2017	270	41	12	228	32	1	54	638
2018	268	40	11	228	29	0	62	638
2019	252	39	10	247	26	9	59	642
2020	231	38	13	249	25	8	62	626
2021	219	33	12	248	29	7	60	608
2022	193	33	14	237	32	10	61	580
2023	173	37	12	266	29	12	60	589

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 Loess Hills Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	550	38.0	14.4	86.2
2016	608	40.0	15.2	77.1
2017	638	41.2	15.4	78.2
2018	638	41.8	15.2	34.6
2019	642	42.9	14.9	57.9
2020	626	43.1	14.4	55
2021	608	43.9	13.8	71.7
2022	580	41.4	13.9	68.8
2023	589	41.4	14.2	59.6

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 Loess Hills Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	550	38.0	14.4	86.2
2016	608	40.0	15.2	77.1
2017	638	41.2	15.4	78.2
2018	638	41.8	15.2	34.6
2019	642	42.9	14.9	57.9
2020	626	43.1	14.4	55
2021	608	43.9	13.8	71.7
2022	580	41.4	13.9	68.8
2023	589	41.4	14.2	59.6

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 Loess Hills Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,082 (8.2%)	$12,159 (91.8%)	$13,241

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Loess Hills 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 343^rd of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 353^rd of 565 Elementary schools	5.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Loess Hills Elementary)	58.9	64.9	6%
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 (Loess Hills Elementary)	73.3	76.6	3.3%
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 (Loess Hills Elementary)	70.5	66.7	3.8%
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 (Loess Hills Elementary)	67.6	66.7	0.9%
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 (Loess Hills Elementary)	70.8	67.7	3.1%
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 (Loess Hills Elementary)	71.9	79.6	7.7%
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	642	589	8.3%
African American	39	37	5.1%
American Indian	26	29	11.5%
Asian	10	12	20%
Hispanic	247	266	7.7%
Pacific Islander	9	12	33.3%
White	252	173	31.3%
Two or More Races	59	60	1.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	57.9%	59.6%	1.6%

Schools Near Loess Hills 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 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
Loess Hills Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1717 Casselman Street	Sioux City	51103	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 279-6843	589	41	14.2	59.6%	173 (29.4%)	37 (6.3%)	266 (45.2%)	12 (2.0%)	29 (4.9%)	12 (2.0%)	60 (10.2%)	34.6	417^th of 557 public elementary schools	25.1%		47	353^rd of 565 public elementary schools	37.5%	64	66.7	58.8	62.5	66.7	60.0	72.9	45.8	$13,241	$1,082	$12,159
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
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
Riverside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2220 Nash	Sioux City	51109	Woodbury County	Sioux City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 279-6811	244	25	9.7	73.0%	123 (50.4%)	6 (2.5%)	80 (32.8%)	2 (0.8%)	6 (2.5%)	2 (0.8%)	25 (10.2%)	31.1	438^th of 557 public elementary schools	21.4%		41.4	387^th of 565 public elementary schools	31.5%	51	66.7	64.7	54.8	66.7	58.8	61.3	51.6	$17,090	$1,205	$15,885
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
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
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
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
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

Frequently Asked Questions about Loess Hills Elementary

What schools do graduates of Loess Hills Elementary attend?

Students who attend Loess Hills Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : West Middle School
High : West High School

How many students attend Loess Hills Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 589 students attended Loess Hills Elementary.

What district is Loess Hills Elementary in?

Sioux City Community School District

Is Loess Hills Elementary a good school?

Loess Hills Elementary ranks 417^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 1 star out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Loess Hills Elementary?

Students at Loess Hills Elementary are 45% Hispanic, 29% White, 10% Two or more races, 6% African American, 5% American Indian, 2% Asian, 2% Pacific Islander.

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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.