The brief
A North Polk Comm School District elementary school serving grades 3rd – 5th.
Students at Big Creek Elementary score 86% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 89%).
It ranks 328 of 1,284 schools in Iowa and 3 of 5 in North Polk Comm School District.
- 202586%
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 5 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.
- Based on limited data: 50% component coverage.
- Component weights adjusted due to data availability.
Partial Profile · 2/3 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 89% (2025 ISASP) · reading/ELA 83% (2025 ISASP).
- 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.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- 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.
- 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 50226; this does not measure the attendance area.
Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments 2025 ISASP; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.The area
- Median income
- $161,627
- Median home value
- $390,600
- Median rent
- $746/mo
- College educated
- 48.1%
- Homeownership
- 91.8%
- Poverty rate
- 5.2%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 50226; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 5
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 21
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 526/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Polk City. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Polk City), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Who goes here
- Free or reduced lunch
- 11.3%
- Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).
Compare nearby
Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Big Creek Elementary serve?
Big Creek Elementary serves students in grades 3rd through 5th.
How many students attend Big Creek Elementary?
Big Creek Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 337 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Creek Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Creek Elementary is 14.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Big Creek Elementary rank in IA?
Big Creek Elementary ranks #328 of 1,284 schools in IA.
What is Big Creek Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?
Big Creek Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 7.6 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 Big Creek Elementary?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Big Creek Elementary has 89% math proficiency (2025 ISASP) and 83% reading/ELA proficiency (2025 ISASP).
Is Big Creek Elementary a charter school?
No, Big Creek Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Big Creek Elementary a Title I school?
No, Big Creek Elementary is not currently a Title I school.
What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Big Creek Elementary?
11.3% of students at Big Creek 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
- 337
- Student-teacher ratio
- 14.7:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 23
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Fringe Rural
- County
- Polk County
- Phone
- (515) 984-3400
- Rank in district
- #3 of 5
- Schools in district
- 5
- District spending per student
- $11,604
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 2.6%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 50226)
- 7,290
- Area average commute
- 24.4 min
- Area median age
- 38.8
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Sources and official links
Keep exploring
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.