West Liberty Elementary School

Summary:

West Liberty Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 361 students in grades K-4 in West Liberty, Iowa, which is part of the West Liberty Community School District. The school faces significant challenges, including consistently low academic performance and a student population that differs greatly from the state and nearby schools in terms of racial makeup and socioeconomic status.

Academically, West Liberty Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of Iowa elementary schools, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics that are well below the state averages, often by 20-30 percentage points. Compared to nearby schools like Wilton Elementary and Helen Lemme Elementary, West Liberty lags significantly in academic performance.

The school also has a much higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 56.51% to 63.45% over the past 3 years, which is significantly higher than the state average and most of the nearby schools. This suggests that socioeconomic factors may be contributing to the school's academic struggles. Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending and low student-teacher ratio, these resources have not translated into improved academic outcomes, indicating that a multifaceted approach targeting both academic and non-academic barriers to student success may be necessary.

Detail:

Public K-4

806 N Miller St.
West Liberty, IA 52776

(319) 627-4243

District: West Liberty Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
533^rd of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,685

Students who attend West Liberty Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	West Liberty Middle School
High:	West Liberty High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.9

Number of students: 438

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

64.6%

White:

33.3%

Two or more races:

1.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 55.5%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details West Liberty Elementary School ranks worse than 95.7% of elementary schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.23. (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 Racial makeup is: Hispanic (64.6%), White (33.3%), two or more races (1.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 55.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Liberty Elementary School is 11.9. (See more...)

Compare West Liberty Elementary School employs 36.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Liberty Elementary School is $11,685.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

West Liberty Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks West Liberty Community School District 305^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for West Liberty Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	36.45	482^nd	626	23.0%
2013	35.85	483^rd	624	22.6%
2014	19.67	530^th	603	12.1%
2015	22.50	520^th	616	15.6%
2016	24.68	500^th	599	16.5%
2017	33.00	443^rd	574	22.8%
2018	39.98	395^th	567	30.3%
2019	18.16	528^th	603	12.4%
2021	10.69	531^st	567	6.3%
2022	10.07	529^th	574	7.8%
2023	4.58	545^th	565	3.5%
2024	5.23	533^rd	557	4.3%

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 West Liberty Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2010	213	0	15	227	0	6	461
2011	211	1	10	255	0	9	486
2012	233	2	10	186	21	2	454
2013	194	1	3	212	7	14	431
2014	166	0	6	240	0	11	423
2015	173	1	5	248	0	9	436
2016	184	1	5	252	0	6	448
2017	202	4	6	272	0	7	491
2018	237	5	9	264	0	6	521
2019	220	6	8	279	0	7	520
2020	227	7	10	289	0	6	539
2021	188	4	7	269	0	8	476
2022	128	1	4	212	1	4	350
2023	121	2	4	228	1	5	361
2024	146	0	3	283	1	5	438

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 West Liberty Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	461	43.2	10.6	52.9
2011	486	39.0	12.4	54.3
2012	454	36.8	12.3	61.9
2013	431	38.7	11.1	62.9
2014	423	37.4	11.2	62.6
2015	436	36.0	12.1	63.8
2016	448	38.0	11.7	61.2
2017	491	40.8	12.0	60.3
2018	521	42.0	12.4	56.6
2019	520	41.9	12.3	59
2020	539	41.9	12.8	62.2
2021	476	39.9	11.9	63.4
2022	350	29.9	11.6	62.3
2023	361	26.4	13.6	56.5
2024	438	36.6	11.9	55.5

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 West Liberty Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	461	43.2	10.6	52.9
2011	486	39.0	12.4	54.3
2012	454	36.8	12.3	61.9
2013	431	38.7	11.1	62.9
2014	423	37.4	11.2	62.6
2015	436	36.0	12.1	63.8
2016	448	38.0	11.7	61.2
2017	491	40.8	12.0	60.3
2018	521	42.0	12.4	56.6
2019	520	41.9	12.3	59
2020	539	41.9	12.8	62.2
2021	476	39.9	11.9	63.4
2022	350	29.9	11.6	62.3
2023	361	26.4	13.6	56.5
2024	438	36.6	11.9	55.5

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 West Liberty Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,034 (8.8%)	$10,651 (91.2%)	$11,685

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Liberty 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 528^th of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 545^th of 565 Elementary schools	8.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Liberty Elementary School)	40	28.4	11.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (West Liberty Community School District)	40	28.4	11.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Liberty Elementary School)	60	53.1	6.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Liberty Community School District)	60	53.1	6.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Liberty Elementary School)	65	52	13%
4th Grade English Language Arts (West Liberty Community School District)	65	52	13%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Liberty Elementary School)	50	37.8	12.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (West Liberty Community School District)	50	37.8	12.2%
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	520	361	30.6%
African American	6	2	66.7%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	8	4	50%
Hispanic	279	228	18.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	220	121	45%
Two or More Races	7	5	28.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	59%	56.5%	2.5%

Schools Near West Liberty 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
West Liberty Elementary School	Public	K-4	806 N Miller St.	West Liberty	52776	Muscatine County	West Liberty Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 627-4243	438	37	11.9	55.5%	146 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	283 (64.6%)	3 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.1%)	5.2	533^rd of 557 public elementary schools	4.3%		4.6	545^th of 565 public elementary schools	3.5%	12	36.5	53.8			50.0	36.3				$11,685	$1,034	$10,651
Early Childhood Center	Public	PK	806 N Miller St	West Liberty	52776	Muscatine County	West Liberty Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 627-5089	71	6	12.2	63.4%	24 (33.8%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (64.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)								(n/a)
Hoover Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	148 N Oliphant	West Branch	52358	Cedar County	West Branch Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 643-7211	378	27	13.9	20.1%	328 (86.8%)	8 (2.1%)	29 (7.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.9%)	47.3	348^th of 557 public elementary schools	37.5%		45.7	363^rd of 565 public elementary schools	35.8%	15	61.2	65.6			80.6	70.5				$16,219	$301	$15,917
Lone Tree Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	303 S Devoe St	Lone Tree	52755	Johnson County	Lone Tree Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 629-4213	229	16	14.0	30.1%	203 (88.6%)	2 (0.9%)	16 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.5%)	76.9	91^st of 557 public elementary schools	83.7%		61.4	228^th of 565 public elementary schools	59.6%	137	69.2	90.0	78.9		92.3	93.3	73.7		71.1	$10,488	$297	$10,191
Herbert Hoover Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1355 Barrington Rd	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1110	515	38	13.3	49.7%	234 (45.4%)	74 (14.4%)	165 (32.0%)	22 (4.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.9%)	55.5	297^th of 557 public elementary schools	46.7%		54.1	292^nd of 565 public elementary schools	48.3%	5	75.0	72.2	78.7	76.6	76.2	70.4	73.8	59.4	63.9
Wilton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1210 Cypress St	Wilton	52778	Muscatine County	Wilton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(563) 732-2880	524	33	15.8	38.2%	471 (89.9%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (7.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.7%)	68.3	178^th of 557 public elementary schools	68.0%		68.7	177^th of 565 public elementary schools	68.7%	1	68.8	78.6	79.4	91.2	85.9	60.0	76.2	82.4	74.6	$11,938	$305	$11,634
Robert Lucas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	830 Southlawn Dr	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1140	274	23	11.9	53.3%	128 (46.7%)	94 (34.3%)	29 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (8.0%)	34.5	420^th of 557 public elementary schools	24.6%		47.6	347^th of 565 public elementary schools	38.6%	73	52.6	51.7	81.3	69.8	55.3	48.3	81.3	48.8	71.9	$14,649	$1,493	$13,155
Mulberry Elementary School	Public	K-6	3211 Mulberry Ave	Muscatine	52761	Muscatine County	Muscatine Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(563) 263-8143	280	19	14.9	30.0%	182 (65.0%)	23 (8.2%)	35 (12.5%)	12 (4.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (9.3%)	61.7	229^th of 557 public elementary schools	58.9%		68.8	176^th of 565 public elementary schools	68.8%	53	68.0	86.0	67.5	75.9	84.0	74.4	70.0	72.4	70.0	$16,051	$888	$15,163
Helen Lemme Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3100 Washington St	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1125	371	28	13.3	37.2%	237 (63.9%)	44 (11.9%)	64 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (6.7%)	60.7	245^th of 557 public elementary schools	56.0%		60.5	243^rd of 565 public elementary schools	57.0%	2	71.1	76.1	76.7	66.7	80.0	80.4	75.0	77.8	65.0	$12,605	$204	$12,400
Grant Wood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1930 Lakeside Dr	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1180	391	31	12.7	72.1%	91 (23.3%)	195 (49.9%)	77 (19.7%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	19 (4.9%)	7.9	520^th of 557 public elementary schools	6.6%		6.7	533^rd of 565 public elementary schools	5.7%	13	42.5	44.9	58.0	52.8	55.0	34.7	42.0	37.7	44.0	$15,646	$1,067	$14,579

Frequently Asked Questions about West Liberty Elementary School

What district is West Liberty Elementary School in?

West Liberty Community School District

What schools do graduates of West Liberty Elementary School attend?

Students who attend West Liberty Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : West Liberty Middle School
High : West Liberty High School

Is West Liberty Elementary School a good school?

West Liberty Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.3% of Iowa elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of West Liberty Elementary School?

Students at West Liberty Elementary School are 65% Hispanic, 33% White, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend West Liberty Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 438 students attended West Liberty Elementary School.

Rate West Liberty 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.