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Public elementary school · Ballard Comm School District · Cambridge, Iowa

Ballard East Elementary

Ballard East Elementary rates 8.3, right at the middle of Ballard Comm School District's elementary schools, whose rated median is 8.3.

Elementary schools, 1 to 10This campus against public elementary schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
8.3this school

8.3 on a one-to-ten scale; the Ballard Comm School District median is 8.3.

#133 of 1,284 schools in Iowa · Ballard Comm School District: 2 elementary schools rated, median 8.3

The brief

A Ballard Comm School District elementary school where students score 6 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 133 of 1,284 schools in Iowa and 2 of 4 in Ballard Comm School District.

Ballard East Elementary is listed in Ballard Comm School District, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math85%10 points above the Iowa average of 75%Grades 3–5 · 414 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Reading73%1 point above the Iowa average of 72%Grades 3–5 · 414 students tested · 2025 ISASP
Proficiency has held near 79% across the 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 ISASP; 35 test records from IA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.2
50% of the rating
Academics
6.3
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
8.9
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 81% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 78% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 ISASP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 ISASP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 50046; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Ballard East Elementary and the 20 nearest elementary schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$91,944
Median home value
$225,000
Median rent
$1,005/mo
College educated
34%
Homeownership
89.1%
Poverty rate
5.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 50046; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
5
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
32
Somewhat Bikeable
County reported crime
1,065/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
18.3%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Ballard East Elementary serve?

Ballard East Elementary serves students in grades 3rd through 5th.

How many students attend Ballard East Elementary?

Ballard East Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 431 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Ballard East Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Ballard East Elementary is 12.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Ballard East Elementary rank in IA?

Ballard East Elementary ranks #133 of 1,284 schools in IA.

What is Ballard East Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Ballard East Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Ballard East Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Ballard East Elementary has 81% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 78% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Ballard East Elementary a charter school?

No, Ballard East Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Ballard East Elementary a Title I school?

No, Ballard East Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Ballard East Elementary?

18.3% of students at Ballard East Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
3rd – 5th
Enrollment
431
Student-teacher ratio
12.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
34
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Story County
Rank in district
#2 of 4
Schools in district
4
District spending per student
$12,339
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
4.9%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 50046)
1,696
Area average commute
26.8 min
Area median age
40.3

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Iowa Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.