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#868 of 1,280 schools in IA

Robert Lucas Elementary School

Elementary School · Iowa City Comm School District · Iowa City, IA

An Iowa City Comm School District elementary school where students score 8 points below what's typical for similar communities.

830 Southlawn Dr, Iowa City, IA 52245

  • Math 58% vs IA 75% (2025)
  • Reading 57% vs IA 72% (2025)
  • 12.5:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress5.7Average50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-0.85 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendStable
Academics3.3Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency57.7% (2025 ISASP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency57.3% (2025 ISASP)
Math vs. State Avg-19 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-11.8 pts
Overall Proficiency58% (2025 ISASP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)66% (model expectation from 2025 ISASP)
vs. Expected-8.3 pts
Adjusted Percentile15th
Resources & Environment8.6Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio12.5:1
District spending per student$14,391
Chronic Absenteeism24.1%

Students at Robert Lucas Elementary School score 58% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 66%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 ISASP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. IA average.

Math Proficiency58%(2025 ISASP)
School
State
75%(2025 ISASP)
ELA Proficiency57%(2025 ISASP)
School
State
72%(2025 ISASP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency is down 14 points across the 17-year record (2009–2025) and has held near 58% recently.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
76%
ELA
67%
2010
Math
73%
ELA
74%
2011
Math
65%
ELA
63%
2012
Math
65%
ELA
63%
2013
Math
67%
ELA
63%
2014
Math
58%
ELA
63%
2015
Math
57%
ELA
56%
2016
Math
61%
ELA
64%
2017
Math
56%
ELA
62%
2018
Math
67%
ELA
56%
2019
Math
67%
ELA
56%
2020*
Math
52%
ELA
57%
2021*
Math
52%
ELA
57%
2022
Math
57%
ELA
62%
2025
Math
58%
ELA
57%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 62% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 61% (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

53.3%

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 Robert Lucas 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 53Somewhat Walkable
  • Transit 27Some Transit
  • Bike 59Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,000/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Iowa City), 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

$75,876

Median home value

$293,300

Median rent

$1,215/mo

College educated

68.3%

Homeownership

57.7%

Poverty rate

20.9%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 52245; 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
Willowwind SchoolPrivate · tuition7.1privatePK–60.1 mi75Compare →
Helen Lemme Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified5.8PK–60.8 mi371Compare →
Herbert Hoover Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified8.2PK–61.3 mi515Compare →
Mark Twain ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.5PK–61.3 mi241Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

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

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

Iowa City Comm School District

Schools in district
29
Rank in district
#21 of 29
District spending per student
$14,391NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
11.8%Census SAIPE · 2024

Robert Lucas Elementary School is listed in Iowa City Comm School District; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Robert Lucas Elementary School

Robert Lucas Elementary School is a public elementary school in Iowa City, IA, part of Iowa City Comm School District, serving approximately 274 students in grades Pre-K-6th with a 12.5:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 5.6 out of 10 and ranks #868 of 1,280 schools in IA. State assessment records show 62% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 61% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Robert Lucas Elementary School

What grades does Robert Lucas Elementary School serve?

Robert Lucas Elementary School serves students in grades Pre-K through 6th.

How many students attend Robert Lucas Elementary School?

Robert Lucas Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 274 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Robert Lucas Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Robert Lucas Elementary School is 12.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Robert Lucas Elementary School rank in IA?

Robert Lucas Elementary School ranks #868 of 1,280 schools in IA.

What is Robert Lucas Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Robert Lucas Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.6 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 Robert Lucas Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Robert Lucas Elementary School has 62% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 61% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Robert Lucas Elementary School a charter school?

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

Is Robert Lucas Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Robert Lucas Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Robert Lucas Elementary School?

53.3% of students at Robert Lucas 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 – 6th
Enrollment
274
Student-Teacher Ratio
12.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
22
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Johnson County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
24.1%
Area population (ZIP 52245)
22,765
Area average commute
17.5 min
Area median age
31.3
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 52245; 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

Related reading

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