Spirit Lake Elementary School

Q: Is Spirit Lake Elementary School a good school?

Spirit Lake Elementary School ranks 58 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Spirit Lake Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 537 students in grades PK-4 in the Spirit Lake Community School District in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

Spirit Lake Elementary School consistently outperforms the state average on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 83.9% of 3rd graders and 93.1% of 4th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the state averages of 64.2% and 72.9%, respectively. In Mathematics, 90.7% of 3rd graders and 77.2% of 4th graders were proficient or better, compared to the state averages of 76.3% and 72.7%. The school has maintained a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 20% of Iowa elementary schools in recent years, and has a relatively low student-teacher ratio ranging from 14.6 to 16 students per teacher.

While Spirit Lake Elementary School spends approximately $11,763 per student, which is lower than some nearby schools, it is able to achieve these strong academic outcomes. The school serves a student population with a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch compared to the state as a whole, ranging from 24.72% to 28.49% over the past three school years.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-4

709 28th Street
Spirit Lake, IA 51360

(712) 336-2822

District: Spirit Lake Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
58^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,763

Students who attend Spirit Lake Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Spirit Lake Middle School
High:	Spirit Lake High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 537

Racial breakdown:

White:

89.2%

Two or more races:

4.5%

Hispanic:

3.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 28.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Spirit Lake Elementary School ranks better than 89.6% of elementary schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 82.14. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (89.2%), two or more races (4.5%), Hispanic (3.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 28.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Spirit Lake Elementary School is 14.6. (See more...)

Compare Spirit Lake Elementary School employs 36.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spirit Lake Elementary School is $11,763.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Spirit Lake Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Spirit Lake Community School District 91^st of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Spirit Lake Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	68.59	165^th	626	73.6%
2013	72.88	115^th	624	81.6%
2014	64.44	235^th	603	61.0%
2015	76.63	104^th	616	83.1%
2016	69.88	176^th	599	70.6%
2017	63.56	239^th	574	58.4%
2018	48.00	351^st	567	38.1%
2019	76.65	119^th	603	80.3%
2021	69.79	159^th	567	72.0%
2022	87.26	30^th	574	94.8%
2023	77.45	106^th	565	81.2%
2024	82.14	58^th	557	89.6%

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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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Spirit Lake Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	638	0	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	643
1989	685	0	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	686
1990	698	5	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	704
1991	669	4	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	674
1992	454	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	455
1993	450	1	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	451
1994	442	3	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	445
1995	472	5	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	483
1996	472	5	3	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	483
1997	490	5	2	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	502
1998	486	1	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	492
1999	488	4	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	496
2000	544	1	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	-51	495
2001	459	1	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	467
2002	414	1	4	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	425
2003	414	1	4	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	425
2004	452	6	5	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	466
2005	487	6	5	3	3	n/a	n/a	0	504
2006	485	7	3	3	1	n/a	n/a	0	499
2007	500	7	4	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	517
2008	471	8	4	7	5	n/a	n/a	0	495
2009	444	4	2	7	1	n/a	n/a	0	458
2010	369	4	3	16	1	0	5	0	398
2011	395	4	5	15	1	0	7	0	427
2012	399	3	6	22	1	0	15	0	446
2013	390	2	5	19	1	0	16	0	433
2014	443	4	7	26	2	0	19	0	501
2015	461	2	5	20	4	0	21	0	513
2016	445	2	4	16	4	0	20	0	491
2017	469	3	3	18	5	0	19	0	517
2018	475	4	1	17	2	0	20	0	519
2019	502	4	2	19	0	0	26	0	553
2020	517	5	1	23	0	0	19	0	565
2021	498	8	2	18	0	0	22	0	548
2022	477	9	2	23	1	0	18	0	530
2023	479	11	2	20	1	0	24	0	537

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 Spirit Lake Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	643	35.6	18.0	17.3
1989	686	36.6	18.7	16.9
1990	704	32.0	22.0	16.1
1991	674	30.0	22.4	15.3
1992	455	21.0	21.6	18.9
1993	451	18.5	24.4	14.9
1994	445	19.0	23.4	17.8
1995	483	22.0	22.0	20.1
1996	483	22.0	22.0	20.1
1997	502	28.1	17.9	21.5
1998	492	27.1	18.2	22.2
1999	496	29.4	16.9	28.2
2000	495	32.2	15.4	20
2001	467	33.3	14.0	21.2
2002	425	38.3	11.1	17.9
2003	425	38.3	11.1	17.9
2004	466	34.9	13.4	17.6
2005	504	35.5	14.2	21.6
2006	499	34.5	14.5	19.6
2007	517	34.4	15.0	19.3
2008	495	34.9	14.2	20.8
2009	458	31.5	14.5	22.9
2010	398	28.7	13.8	24.6
2011	427	29.0	14.7	27.2
2012	446	29.5	15.1	23.5
2013	433	31.2	13.8	31.2
2014	501	31.3	16.0	28.5
2015	513	31.0	16.5	29.4
2016	491	31.0	15.8	29.9
2017	517	33.1	15.5	25.3
2018	519	33.2	15.6	28.5
2019	553	32.8	16.8	34.4
2020	565	34.8	16.2	33.5
2021	548	35.5	15.4	27.7
2022	530	33.0	16.0	24.7
2023	537	36.6	14.6	28.5

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 Spirit Lake Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	643	35.6	18.0	17.3
1989	686	36.6	18.7	16.9
1990	704	32.0	22.0	16.1
1991	674	30.0	22.4	15.3
1992	455	21.0	21.6	18.9
1993	451	18.5	24.4	14.9
1994	445	19.0	23.4	17.8
1995	483	22.0	22.0	20.1
1996	483	22.0	22.0	20.1
1997	502	28.1	17.9	21.5
1998	492	27.1	18.2	22.2
1999	496	29.4	16.9	28.2
2000	495	32.2	15.4	20
2001	467	33.3	14.0	21.2
2002	425	38.3	11.1	17.9
2003	425	38.3	11.1	17.9
2004	466	34.9	13.4	17.6
2005	504	35.5	14.2	21.6
2006	499	34.5	14.5	19.6
2007	517	34.4	15.0	19.3
2008	495	34.9	14.2	20.8
2009	458	31.5	14.5	22.9
2010	398	28.7	13.8	24.6
2011	427	29.0	14.7	27.2
2012	446	29.5	15.1	23.5
2013	433	31.2	13.8	31.2
2014	501	31.3	16.0	28.5
2015	513	31.0	16.5	29.4
2016	491	31.0	15.8	29.9
2017	517	33.1	15.5	25.3
2018	519	33.2	15.6	28.5
2019	553	32.8	16.8	34.4
2020	565	34.8	16.2	33.5
2021	548	35.5	15.4	27.7
2022	530	33.0	16.0	24.7
2023	537	36.6	14.6	28.5

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 Spirit Lake Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$432 (3.7%)	$11,331 (96.3%)	$11,763

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Spirit Lake 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 119^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 106^th of 565 Elementary schools	1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Spirit Lake Elementary School)	73.1	95.6	22.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Spirit Lake Community School District)	73.1	95.6	22.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Spirit Lake Elementary School)	76.3	83	6.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Spirit Lake Community School District)	76.3	83	6.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Spirit Lake Elementary School)	89.5	83.3	6.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Spirit Lake Community School District)	89.5	83.3	6.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Spirit Lake Elementary School)	88.4	76.9	11.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Spirit Lake Community School District)	88.4	76.9	11.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	553	537	2.9%
African American	4	11	175%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	2	2
Hispanic	19	20	5.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	502	479	4.6%
Two or More Races	26	24	7.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	34.4%	28.5%	5.9%

Schools Near Spirit Lake 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
Spirit Lake Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	709 28th Street	Spirit Lake	51360	Dickinson County	Spirit Lake Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 336-2822	537	37	14.6	28.5%	479 (89.2%)	11 (2.0%)	20 (3.7%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.5%)	82.1	58^th of 557 public elementary schools	89.6%		77.5	106^th of 565 public elementary schools	81.2%	48	83.9	93.1		90.7	77.2			$11,763	$432	$11,331
Okoboji Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	705 N Ave	Milford	51351	Dickinson County	Okoboji Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 338-2458	533	38	14.1	39.8%	466 (87.4%)	7 (1.3%)	37 (6.9%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (3.4%)	70.2	159^th of 557 public elementary schools	71.5%		64.8	203^rd of 565 public elementary schools	64.1%	44	76.3	71.3		89.7	79.3			$13,036	$648	$12,387
Graettinger-Terril Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 S. Schooley St.	Terril	51364	Dickinson County	Graettinger-Terril Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 859-3286	147	13	11.6	58.5%	140 (95.2%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)								(n/a)								$16,449	$451	$15,999
Harris-Lake Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	105 Ave A West	Lake Park	51347	Dickinson County	Harris-Lake Park Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 832-3437	172	9	18.2	34.3%	154 (89.5%)	2 (1.2%)	7 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.2%)	59.4	260^th of 557 public elementary schools	53.3%		36.9	420^th of 565 public elementary schools	25.7%	160	42.9	91.7	66.7	66.7	95.8	79.2	66.7	$12,458	$1,128	$11,331
Demoney Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	109 S 17th Street	Estherville	51334	Emmet County	Estherville Lincoln Central Com School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 362-2181	493	42	11.8	54.6%	320 (64.9%)	5 (1.0%)	144 (29.2%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.3%)	36.9	402^nd of 557 public elementary schools	27.8%		29.6	438^th of 565 public elementary schools	22.5%	36	46.3	74.1		58.2	75.3			$13,659	$648	$13,013
Fairview Park Elementary	Public	1-2	1508 5th Ave. East	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 262-4842	308	24	12.8	48.7%	257 (83.4%)	1 (0.3%)	32 (10.4%)	5 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.2%)								(n/a)								$14,305	$896	$13,408
Johnson Elementary	Public	PK-K	724 West 9th Street	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 262-2710	229	22	10.6	50.2%	191 (83.4%)	4 (1.7%)	26 (11.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.5%)								(n/a)								$13,320	$574	$12,747
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	3-5	615 4th Ave. SW	Spencer	51301	Clay County	Spencer Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(712) 262-3752	467	32	14.3	50.1%	407 (87.2%)	6 (1.3%)	35 (7.5%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.2%)	50.4	324^th of 557 public elementary schools	41.8%		53.3	305^th of 565 public elementary schools	46.0%	19	56.9	71.1	75.4	75.6	68.3	72.5	62.7	$12,820	$475	$12,345

Frequently Asked Questions about Spirit Lake Elementary School

How many students attend Spirit Lake Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 537 students attended Spirit Lake Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Spirit Lake Elementary School?

Students at Spirit Lake Elementary School are 89% White, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic, 2% African American.

Is Spirit Lake Elementary School a good school?

Spirit Lake Elementary School ranks 58^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Spirit Lake Elementary School in?

Spirit Lake Community School District

What schools do graduates of Spirit Lake Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Spirit Lake Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Spirit Lake Middle School
High : Spirit Lake 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.