The brief
An Ottumwa Comm School District elementary school where students score 8 points below what's typical for similar communities.
It ranks 1,005 of 1,284 schools in Iowa and 4 of 11 in Ottumwa Comm School District.
James Elementary School is listed in Ottumwa 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.
- 202545%
- 2023–2024: no results on file
- 202250%
- 2021*47%
- 2020*47%
- 201962%
- 201862%
* A COVID-affected year: test participation was uneven nationwide, so the model weights it at half.
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 57% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 49% (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 52501; 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.The area
- Median income
- $59,091
- Median home value
- $109,600
- Median rent
- $955/mo
- College educated
- 20.1%
- Homeownership
- 65.5%
- Poverty rate
- 17.6%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 52501; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 20
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 9
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 2,479/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Ottumwa. 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 (Ottumwa), 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.Programs
- Gifted and talented
- Available
- A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Who goes here
- Free or reduced lunch
- 77.6%
- 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.- 6.8Compare →
- 5.3Compare →
- 5.3Compare →
- James Elementary School5.0
- 4.8Compare →
- 3.2Compare →
- 2.6Compare →
- 2.3Compare →
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 James Elementary School serve?
James Elementary School serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.
How many students attend James Elementary School?
James Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 228 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at James Elementary School 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 James Elementary School rank in IA?
James Elementary School ranks #1,005 of 1,284 schools in IA.
What is James Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?
James Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.0 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 James Elementary School?
Based on loaded state assessment records, James Elementary School has 57% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 49% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).
Is James Elementary School a charter school?
No, James Elementary School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is James Elementary School a Title I school?
No, James Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.
What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for James Elementary School?
77.6% of students at James 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 facts
- Grades
- Kindergarten – 5th
- Enrollment
- 228
- Student-teacher ratio
- 12.7:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 18
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Remote Town
- County
- Wapello County
- Phone
- (641) 684-5411
- Rank in district
- #4 of 11
- Schools in district
- 11
- District spending per student
- $12,391
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 19.9%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 52501)
- 30,341
- Area average commute
- 18.6 min
- Area median age
- 39.4
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.