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Below Average

#1059 of 1,280 schools in IA

Carter Lake Elementary School

Elementary School · Council Bluffs Comm School District · Carter Lake, IA

A Council Bluffs Comm School District elementary school serving grades Pre-K – 5th.

1000 Willow Drive, Carter Lake, IA 51510

  • Math 66% vs IA 75% (2025)
  • Reading 58% vs IA 72% (2025)
  • 13.5:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress3.5Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-1.42 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics4.6Below Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency65.6% (2025 ISASP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency57.9% (2025 ISASP)
Math vs. State Avg-11.1 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-11.2 pts
Overall Proficiency62% (2025 ISASP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)63% (model expectation from 2025 ISASP)
vs. Expected-0.8 pts
Adjusted Percentile27th
Resources & Environment7.4Very Good20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio13.5:1
District spending per student$15,159
Chronic Absenteeism27.6%

Students at Carter Lake Elementary School score 62% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 63%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 ISASP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. IA average.

Math Proficiency66%(2025 ISASP)
School
State
75%(2025 ISASP)
ELA Proficiency58%(2025 ISASP)
School
State
72%(2025 ISASP)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 22 points since 2020, reaching 62% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
77%
ELA
72%
2010
Math
72%
ELA
77%
2011
Math
62%
ELA
72%
2012
Math
62%
ELA
72%
2013
Math
62%
ELA
57%
2014
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2015
Math
57%
ELA
57%
2016
Math
57%
ELA
57%
2017
Math
57%
ELA
62%
2018
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2019
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2020*
Math
42%
ELA
37%
2021*
Math
42%
ELA
37%
2022
Math
47%
ELA
52%
2025
Math
66%
ELA
58%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 35 test records from IA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

59.3%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Carter Lake Elementary School sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 22Car-Dependent
  • Bike 36Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High5,308/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Carter Lake), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$75,037

Median home value

$161,200

Median rent

$1,115/mo

College educated

12.9%

Homeownership

84.3%

Poverty rate

15.2%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 51510; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Lothrop Magnet CenterEnrollment path unverified6.1PK–51.6 mi405Compare →
Sacred Heart Elementary SchoolPrivate · tuition4.1privatePK–81.6 mi129Compare →
Sherman Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified2.0PK–51.6 mi240Compare →
Conestoga Magnet Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified3.8PK–61.7 mi299Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Council Bluffs Comm School District

Schools in district
15
Rank in district
#12 of 14
District spending per student
$15,159NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
21.6%Census SAIPE · 2024

Carter Lake Elementary School is listed in Council Bluffs Comm School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Carter Lake Elementary School

Carter Lake Elementary School is a public elementary school in Carter Lake, IA, part of Council Bluffs Comm School District, serving approximately 337 students in grades Pre-K-5th with a 13.5:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 4.6 out of 10 and ranks #1,059 of 1,280 schools in IA. State assessment records show 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Carter Lake Elementary School

What grades does Carter Lake Elementary School serve?

Carter Lake Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 5th.

How many students attend Carter Lake Elementary School?

Carter Lake Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 337 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Carter Lake Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Carter Lake Elementary School is 13.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Carter Lake Elementary School rank in IA?

Carter Lake Elementary School ranks #1,059 of 1,280 schools in IA.

What is Carter Lake Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Carter Lake Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.6 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 Carter Lake Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Carter Lake Elementary School has 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 58% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Carter Lake Elementary School a charter school?

No, Carter Lake Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Carter Lake Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Carter Lake Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Carter Lake Elementary School?

59.3% of students at Carter Lake Elementary School 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 factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Pre-K – 5th
Enrollment
337
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
25
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Pottawattamie County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
27.6%
Area population (ZIP 51510)
3,773
Area median age
40.1
About this school's data

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

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 51510; 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

About our data · How we calculate scores

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