Altoona Elementary

Q: Is Altoona Elementary a good school?

Altoona Elementary ranks 122 nd of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Altoona Elementary is a high-performing public elementary school serving grades PK-5 in the Southeast Polk Community School District in Altoona, Iowa. With a student population of 419, the school has consistently been ranked among the top elementary schools in the state, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.

Altoona Elementary stands out for its exceptional academic performance, consistently outperforming the state and district averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 84.3% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 77.5% for the district and 69% for the state. Similarly, 91.3% of 5th-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 79.2% for the district and 70.7% for the state. The school also serves a more diverse student population, with 11.69% African American, 9.55% Hispanic, and 5.49% two or more races, which is higher than nearby schools like Four Mile Elementary and Centennial Elementary.

While Altoona Elementary's academic performance is impressive, the school also serves a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (49.64% in 2022-2023) compared to some nearby schools, such as Four Mile Elementary (35.61%) and Centennial Elementary (35.95%). This suggests that Altoona Elementary may face unique challenges in providing additional support and resources to students from lower-income families, but the school's ability to maintain high academic achievement across diverse student populations is a testament to its effectiveness.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

301 6th St SW
Altoona, IA 50009

(515) 967-3771

District: Southeast Polk Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
122^nd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,305

Students who attend Altoona Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Southeast Polk Junior High
	Spring Creek - 6th Grade
High:	Southeast Polk High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.4

Number of students: 419

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.9%

African American:

11.7%

Hispanic:

9.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 49.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Altoona Elementary ranks better than 78.1% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks 4^th among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 73.51. (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 Altoona Elementary has the largest elementary school student body size in the Southeast Polk Community School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Altoona Elementary is $14,305, which is the 4^th highest among 8 elementary schools in the Southeast Polk Community School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Southeast Polk Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Southeast Polk Community School District 112^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Altoona Elementary

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	66.66	194^th	626	69.0%
2013	55.41	327^th	624	47.6%
2014	64.06	240^th	603	60.2%
2015	62.30	265^th	616	57.0%
2016	71.11	161^st	599	73.1%
2017	71.25	159^th	574	72.3%
2018	69.23	170^th	567	70.0%
2019	73.12	150^th	603	75.1%
2021	80.92	77^th	567	86.4%
2022	79.60	83^rd	574	85.5%
2023	70.55	164^th	565	71.0%
2024	73.51	122^nd	557	78.1%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Altoona Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	439	2	6	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	449
1989	443	2	8	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	454
1990	474	1	8	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	484
1991	445	0	11	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	456
1992	291	0	0	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	297
1993	309	0	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	316
1994	341	3	0	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	353
1995	318	0	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	326
1996	318	0	1	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	326
1997	357	0	5	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	370
1998	365	1	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	379
1999	352	3	3	4	1	n/a	n/a	0	363
2000	405	7	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	-32	389
2001	368	13	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	388
2002	370	8	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	387
2003	370	8	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	387
2004	371	12	1	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	394
2005	361	11	1	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	381
2006	348	14	4	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	377
2007	387	23	5	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	434
2008	366	13	8	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	401
2009	361	14	9	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	399
2010	352	16	6	22	0	4	9	0	409
2011	340	6	6	18	1	3	14	0	388
2012	359	6	10	26	3	1	20	0	425
2013	325	5	9	24	0	3	20	0	386
2014	334	8	6	28	0	2	22	0	400
2015	360	9	5	37	1	4	20	0	436
2016	354	20	6	31	0	6	21	0	438
2017	380	32	6	34	0	4	22	0	478
2018	351	33	5	32	3	1	26	0	451
2019	334	39	3	40	4	0	35	0	455
2020	311	45	3	29	3	0	31	0	422
2021	308	42	5	26	2	0	30	0	413
2022	317	38	5	25	2	0	30	0	417
2023	297	49	8	40	2	0	23	0	419

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 Altoona Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	449	22.1	20.3	10.2
1989	454	22.1	20.5	9.9
1990	484	22.8	21.2	10.7
1991	456	23.1	19.7	8.8
1992	297	20.0	14.8	12.5
1993	316	20.9	15.1	14.9
1994	353	20.8	17.0	19.5
1995	326	22.0	14.8	17.2
1996	326	22.0	14.8	17.2
1997	370	23.6	15.7	20
1998	379	23.6	16.1	20.8
1999	363	22.9	15.9	27.3
2000	389	23.9	16.3	22.6
2001	388	25.5	15.2	25
2002	387	26.0	14.9	20.9
2003	387	26.0	14.9	20.9
2004	394	26.5	14.9	22.1
2005	381	26.6	14.3	22.6
2006	377	27.2	13.9	19.6
2007	434	32.0	13.6	29.5
2008	401	28.1	14.3	21.4
2009	399	28.3	14.1	31.1
2010	409	29.2	13.9	31.1
2011	388	29.0	13.3	30.9
2012	425	26.0	16.3	25.9
2013	386	24.4	15.7	27.7
2014	400	22.8	17.5	27
2015	436	26.0	16.7	26.1
2016	438	25.0	17.5	33.8
2017	478	26.0	18.3	31.2
2018	451	30.7	14.6	32.2
2019	455	30.7	14.7	38
2020	422	30.7	13.7	40
2021	413	30.7	13.4	44.1
2022	417	32.7	12.7	45.8
2023	419	33.7	12.4	49.6

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 Altoona Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	449	22.1	20.3	10.2
1989	454	22.1	20.5	9.9
1990	484	22.8	21.2	10.7
1991	456	23.1	19.7	8.8
1992	297	20.0	14.8	12.5
1993	316	20.9	15.1	14.9
1994	353	20.8	17.0	19.5
1995	326	22.0	14.8	17.2
1996	326	22.0	14.8	17.2
1997	370	23.6	15.7	20
1998	379	23.6	16.1	20.8
1999	363	22.9	15.9	27.3
2000	389	23.9	16.3	22.6
2001	388	25.5	15.2	25
2002	387	26.0	14.9	20.9
2003	387	26.0	14.9	20.9
2004	394	26.5	14.9	22.1
2005	381	26.6	14.3	22.6
2006	377	27.2	13.9	19.6
2007	434	32.0	13.6	29.5
2008	401	28.1	14.3	21.4
2009	399	28.3	14.1	31.1
2010	409	29.2	13.9	31.1
2011	388	29.0	13.3	30.9
2012	425	26.0	16.3	25.9
2013	386	24.4	15.7	27.7
2014	400	22.8	17.5	27
2015	436	26.0	16.7	26.1
2016	438	25.0	17.5	33.8
2017	478	26.0	18.3	31.2
2018	451	30.7	14.6	32.2
2019	455	30.7	14.7	38
2020	422	30.7	13.7	40
2021	413	30.7	13.4	44.1
2022	417	32.7	12.7	45.8
2023	419	33.7	12.4	49.6

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 Altoona Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$587 (4.1%)	$13,718 (95.9%)	$14,305

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Altoona 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 150^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 164^th of 565 Elementary schools	4.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Altoona Elementary)	64.7	62.9	1.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	76.6	73.5	3.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Altoona Elementary)	69.1	71.4	2.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	82	81.9	0.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Altoona Elementary)	90.2	85.3	4.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	80.4	78.6	1.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Altoona Elementary)	94.1	86.8	7.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	85.1	84.8	0.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Altoona Elementary)	87	79.6	7.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Southeast Polk Community School District)	81.3	75.8	5.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	67.3	68.3	1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Altoona Elementary)	88.9	91.8	2.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Southeast Polk Community School District)	84.8	85.1	0.3%
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	455	419	7.9%
African American	39	49	25.6%
American Indian	4	2	50%
Asian	3	8	166.7%
Hispanic	40	40
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	334	297	11.1%
Two or More Races	35	23	34.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	38%	49.6%	11.6%

Schools Near Altoona 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
Altoona Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	301 6th St SW	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 967-3771	419	34	12.4	49.6%	297 (70.9%)	49 (11.7%)	40 (9.5%)	8 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (5.5%)	73.5	122^nd of 557 public elementary schools	78.1%		70.6	164^th of 565 public elementary schools	71.0%	42	62.7	80.6	84.3	78.4	79.0	91.3	73.5	$14,305	$587	$13,718
Centennial Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	910 7th Ave SE	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-2109	420	33	12.7	36.0%	331 (78.8%)	14 (3.3%)	34 (8.1%)	9 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.6%)	77.2	86^th of 557 public elementary schools	84.6%		78.6	96^th of 565 public elementary schools	83.0%	10	77.4	81.3	73.8	85.5	85.9	90.2	70.5	$15,221	$767	$14,454
Willowbrook Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	300 17th Ave SW	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 967-7512	533	35	15.2	50.5%	353 (66.2%)	51 (9.6%)	54 (10.1%)	15 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	52 (9.8%)	35.2	413^th of 557 public elementary schools	25.9%		44.2	371^st of 565 public elementary schools	34.3%	42	42.9	66.3	67.6	70.2	68.8	62.0	59.2	$13,785	$487	$13,298
Clay Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3200 First Avenue S.	Altoona	50009	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-4198	657	38	17.5	30.1%	463 (70.5%)	68 (10.4%)	69 (10.5%)	12 (1.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (6.5%)	61	242^nd of 557 public elementary schools	56.6%		61.2	231^st of 565 public elementary schools	59.1%	11	64.3	68.4	82.0	76.5	76.8	76.0	69.0	$12,723	$186	$12,537
Delaware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4401 E 46th St	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 262-3197	398	33	12.0	43.5%	262 (65.8%)	47 (11.8%)	39 (9.8%)	28 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.5%)	72.2	138^th of 557 public elementary schools	75.2%		76.7	109^th of 565 public elementary schools	80.7%	29	80.3	80.3	76.6	88.5	77.8	73.4	71.0	$15,865	$1,352	$14,513
Morris Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	600 Garfield St. SW	Bondurant	50035	Polk County	Bondurant-Farrar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 967-6361	621	41	15.0	14.0%	518 (83.4%)	15 (2.4%)	54 (8.7%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	25 (4.0%)								(n/a)								$9,744	$410	$9,334
Anderson Elementary School	Public	2-4	400 Garfield St. SW	Bondurant	50035	Polk County	Bondurant-Farrar Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 967-7494	529	34	15.3	21.2%	445 (84.1%)	13 (2.5%)	35 (6.6%)	6 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	29 (5.5%)	61	241^st of 557 public elementary schools	56.7%		43.2	376^th of 565 public elementary schools	33.5%	135	65.8	79.0		78.7	76.6			$9,609	$215	$9,394
Brubaker Elementary School	Public	K-5	2900 E 42nd Street	Des Moines	50317	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 242-8405	622	52	11.8	85.2%	259 (41.6%)	123 (19.8%)	168 (27.0%)	18 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (8.5%)	2.6	547^th of 557 public elementary schools	1.8%		6.5	536^th of 565 public elementary schools	5.1%	11	33.7	51.4	31.3	44.6	34.9	32.5	25.0	$16,004	$1,458	$14,547
Four Mile Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	670 SE 68th St	Pleasant Hill	50327	Polk County	Southeast Polk Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 265-1972	483	31	15.5	35.6%	357 (73.9%)	20 (4.1%)	64 (13.3%)	13 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	26 (5.4%)	69.2	169^th of 557 public elementary schools	69.7%		78.1	102^nd of 565 public elementary schools	81.9%	67	74.7	82.6	69.1	91.1	92.8	76.5	52.9	$13,837	$290	$13,547
Pleasant Hill Elementary School	Public	K-5	4801 E Oakwood Dr	Des Moines	50327	Polk County	Des Moines Independent Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 242-8432	213	19	11.1	68.5%	135 (63.4%)	15 (7.0%)	46 (21.6%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	13 (6.1%)	39.5	389^th of 557 public elementary schools	30.2%		25.7	459^th of 565 public elementary schools	18.8%	70	51.5	72.0	74.3	63.6	60.0	62.9	62.9	$15,655	$628	$15,027

Frequently Asked Questions about Altoona Elementary

What schools do graduates of Altoona Elementary attend?

Students who attend Altoona Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southeast Polk Junior High
Middle : Spring Creek - 6th Grade
High : Southeast Polk High School

What is the racial makeup of Altoona Elementary?

Students at Altoona Elementary are 71% White, 12% African American, 10% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

How many students attend Altoona Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 419 students attended Altoona Elementary.

Is Altoona Elementary a good school?

Altoona Elementary ranks 122^nd of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Altoona Elementary in?

Southeast Polk Community School District

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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.