Aurora Heights Elementary School

Q: Is Aurora Heights Elementary School a good school?

Aurora Heights Elementary School ranks 215 th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Aurora Heights Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Newton, Iowa, serving grades K-4 with a total enrollment of 268 students. The school is part of the Newton Community School District, which is ranked 240 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the key strengths of Aurora Heights Elementary is its consistently high academic performance. The school consistently outperforms the Newton Community School District and the state of Iowa in standardized test scores for both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. In the 2023-2024 school year, 68.1% of 3rd graders and 68.1% of 4th graders at Aurora Heights were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 63.7% and 73% for the district, and 64.2% and 72.9% for the state. In Mathematics, 89.4% of 3rd graders and 80.9% of 4th graders at Aurora Heights were proficient or better, compared to 80.4% and 77.6% for the district, and 76.3% and 72.7% for the state.

While Aurora Heights Elementary has a higher percentage of white students (87.69%) compared to the surrounding schools in the Newton Community School District, the school also has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (57.09%) compared to the district average (around 50%) and the state of Iowa (around 41%). This suggests that the school serves a larger proportion of economically disadvantaged students, which may have implications for the school's resource allocation and support services.

Detail:

Public K-4

310 E 23rd St S
Newton, IA 50208

(641) 792-7324

District: Newton Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
215^th of 557 Iowa Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,745

Students who attend Aurora Heights Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Berg Middle School
High:	Newton Senior High School

Student/teacher ratio: 10.7

Number of students: 260

Racial breakdown:

White:

86.5%

Hispanic:

5.8%

Two or more races:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Aurora Heights Elementary School ranks better than 61.4% of elementary schools in Iowa. It also ranks first among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Newton Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 63.79. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (86.5%), Hispanic (5.8%), two or more races (4.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 57.7% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Aurora Heights Elementary School is 10.7, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Newton Community School District! (See more...)

Compare Aurora Heights Elementary School employs 24.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Aurora Heights Elementary School is $14,745. 2 elementary schools in the Newton Community School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Aurora Heights Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Newton Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Newton Community School District 240^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Aurora Heights Elementary School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	IA State Percentile
2019	83.78	63^rd	603	89.6%
2021	71.01	149^th	567	73.7%
2022	72.75	139^th	574	75.8%
2023	62.34	222^nd	565	60.7%
2024	63.79	215^th	557	61.4%

See the entire list of Iowa Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Aurora Heights Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2017	235	3	2	6	0	11	257
2018	266	8	4	7	1	15	301
2019	242	7	0	14	0	8	271
2020	239	10	0	17	0	6	272
2021	209	7	1	13	0	6	236
2022	223	4	2	16	0	12	257
2023	235	6	1	15	1	10	268
2024	225	6	1	15	1	12	260

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Aurora Heights Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	257	21.0	12.2	52.9
2018	301	19.3	15.5	61.8
2019	271	20.2	13.4	61.6
2020	272	21.2	12.8	54
2021	236	21.0	11.2	46.2
2022	257	21.1	12.1	40.9
2023	268	21.3	12.5	57.1
2024	260	24.2	10.7	57.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Aurora Heights Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2017	257	21.0	12.2	52.9
2018	301	19.3	15.5	61.8
2019	271	20.2	13.4	61.6
2020	272	21.2	12.8	54
2021	236	21.0	11.2	46.2
2022	257	21.1	12.1	40.9
2023	268	21.3	12.5	57.1
2024	260	24.2	10.7	57.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Aurora Heights Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$749 (5.1%)	$13,996 (94.9%)	$14,745

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Aurora Heights Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 63^rd of 603 Elementary schools	Ranks 222^nd of 565 Elementary schools	28.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Aurora Heights Elementary School)	94.4	74	20.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Newton Community School District)	80.8	70.2	10.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	65.3	66.3	1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Aurora Heights Elementary School)	92.6	88	4.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Newton Community School District)	81.3	79.4	1.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	71.7	75.3	3.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Aurora Heights Elementary School)	82.5	71.1	11.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Newton Community School District)	76.1	67	9.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	70.5	73.1	2.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Aurora Heights Elementary School)	78.9	71.1	7.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Newton Community School District)	76.6	72.2	4.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	72.5	72.9	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	271	268	1.1%
African American	7	6	14.3%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	14	15	7.1%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	242	235	2.9%
Two or More Races	8	10	25%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	61.6%	57.1%	4.5%

Schools Near Aurora Heights Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)				ISASP Mathematics (2024)				ISASP Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Aurora Heights Elementary School	Public	K-4	310 E 23rd St S	Newton	50208	Jasper County	Newton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 792-7324	260	24	10.7	57.7%	225 (86.5%)	6 (2.3%)	15 (5.8%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	12 (4.6%)	63.8	215^th of 557 public elementary schools	61.4%		62.3	222^nd of 565 public elementary schools	60.7%	7	68.1	68.1			89.4	80.9				$14,745	$749	$13,996
Emerson Hough Elementary School	Public	K-4	700 N 4th Ave East	Newton	50208	Jasper County	Newton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 792-3982	205	18	11.0	68.8%	141 (68.8%)	14 (6.8%)	27 (13.2%)	3 (1.5%)	3 (1.5%)	2 (1.0%)	15 (7.3%)	45.7	357^th of 557 public elementary schools	35.9%		20.3	480^th of 565 public elementary schools	15.0%	123	57.8	73.7			73.3	72.2				$16,675	$1,246	$15,429
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School	Public	K-4	801 S 8th Ave West	Newton	50208	Jasper County	Newton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 792-7311	258	19	13.8	54.7%	222 (86.0%)	4 (1.6%)	11 (4.3%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.8%)	61.1	237^th of 557 public elementary schools	57.5%		71.2	153^rd of 565 public elementary schools	72.9%	84	65.0	73.2			80.0	82.1				$14,588	$415	$14,173
Thomas Jefferson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-4	112 Thomas Jefferson Dr	Newton	50208	Jasper County	Newton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 792-2498	315	23	13.5	53.3%	252 (80.0%)	8 (2.5%)	28 (8.9%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	22 (7.0%)	56.3	284^th of 557 public elementary schools	49.0%		55.8	279^th of 565 public elementary schools	50.6%	5	63.8	77.3			78.7	72.7				$15,022	$900	$14,122
Baxter Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	202 E State	Baxter	50028	Jasper County	Baxter Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 227-3102	226	16	14.3	28.3%	216 (95.6%)	2 (0.9%)	6 (2.7%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	58.3	268^th of 557 public elementary schools	51.9%		53	306^th of 565 public elementary schools	45.8%	38	73.5	78.6	63.9		91.2	82.1	72.2		47.2	$16,144	$695	$15,449
Colfax-Mingo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	20 West Broadway	Colfax	50054	Jasper County	Colfax-Mingo Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 674-3465	402	33	12.2	43.0%	357 (88.8%)	2 (0.5%)	26 (6.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (3.5%)	49.2	336^th of 557 public elementary schools	39.7%		62.1	224^th of 565 public elementary schools	60.4%	112	56.5	78.4	59.2	90.9	71.7	81.1	57.1	86.4	44.9	$10,304	$451	$9,854
Lynnville-Sully Elementary School	Public	K-5	12476 Hwy F62 E	Sully	50251	Jasper County	Lynnville-Sully Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 594-4445	224	19	11.5	26.3%	209 (93.3%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.6%)	80.9	65^th of 557 public elementary schools	88.3%		78.3	100^th of 565 public elementary schools	82.3%	35	82.9	86.1	73.2		100.0	94.4	78.0		73.2	$11,124	$439	$10,685
Monroe Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	400 N Jasper	Monroe	50170	Jasper County	PCM Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 994-8222	192	17	11.3	31.8%	183 (95.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)								(n/a)	42.9				57.1					$13,431	$534	$12,897
Prairie City Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	309 East Plainsmen Road	Prairie City	50228	Jasper County	PCM Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 994-8222	312	24	12.9	27.9%	281 (90.1%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (4.8%)	5 (1.6%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.2%)	65.8	192^nd of 557 public elementary schools	65.5%		79	90^th of 565 public elementary schools	84.1%	102	69.6	74.7	72.2		73.2	81.3	78.5		76.9	$14,507	$597	$13,910
East Marshall Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	201 E Weissenberger	Laurel	50141	Marshall County	East Marshall Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(641) 476-3342	284	21	13.4	44.4%	243 (85.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (12.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	50.8	322^nd of 557 public elementary schools	42.2%		40.5	393^rd of 565 public elementary schools	30.4%	71	64.2	81.0	76.4		69.8	71.4	63.6		58.2	$12,045	$693	$11,353

Frequently Asked Questions about Aurora Heights Elementary School

Is Aurora Heights Elementary School a good school?

Aurora Heights Elementary School ranks 215^th of 557 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Aurora Heights Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Aurora Heights Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Berg Middle School
High : Newton Senior High School

What district is Aurora Heights Elementary School in?

Newton Community School District

How many students attend Aurora Heights Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 260 students attended Aurora Heights Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Aurora Heights Elementary School?

Students at Aurora Heights Elementary School are 87% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 2% African American.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.