Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Robert Lucas Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

493^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 14% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Robert Lucas Elementary School is a public elementary school in Iowa City, Iowa, serving 274 students in grades PK-6. The school is part of the Iowa City Community School District, which is ranked 241 out of 313 districts in the state.

Despite the school's higher-than-average per-student spending of $14,649, Robert Lucas Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Iowa elementary schools over the past decade, with its students performing below the district and state averages on standardized tests. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 67.5% of 3rd-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 67.4% in the district and 67.9% statewide. The school's academic performance has remained relatively stagnant, with no significant improvements observed. Additionally, Robert Lucas Elementary has grappled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.9% to 27.9% in recent years, which is significantly higher than the state average.

Interestingly, some nearby schools in the Iowa City Community School District, such as Bohumil Shimek Elementary and Lincoln Elementary, have consistently high academic performance and rankings, creating a stark contrast with Robert Lucas Elementary's struggles. The data suggests that the school may require more targeted interventions and support to address its unique challenges, such as improving attendance, providing additional academic support, and addressing the needs of its socioeconomically disadvantaged student population, which ranges from 43.51% to 53.28% receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

245

Students ?

13.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,649

Per pupil spending ?

49.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

830 Southlawn Dr
Iowa City, IA 52245

(319) 688-1140

District: Iowa City Community School District

Students who attend Robert Lucas Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Southeast Middle School
High:	Iowa City High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

43.3%

African American:

33.5%

Hispanic:

11.0%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Robert Lucas Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 39th percentile in 2023 → 14th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Iowa average (56% vs 71% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (14th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped from its 39th-percentile peak (2023) to 14th (2025)

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school56%

District avg68%

Iowa avg71%

493^rd of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Bottom 14%▲ up 6 pts since 2015

From bottom 9% (2015) to bottom 14% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

14^th of 18Elementary Schools in the Iowa City Community School District

241^st of 313Iowa City Community School District among Iowa districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Iowa percentile	Rating
2025	18.7	493 of 576	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.5	420 of 557	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.6	347 of 565	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.6	440 of 574	23.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	27.5	456 of 567	19.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	33.5	450 of 603	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.5	481 of 567	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	23.4	483 of 574	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.9	529 of 599	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	12.1	562 of 616	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	21.1	525 of 603	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	26.2	540 of 624	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	33.2	505 of 626	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts58%-13 vs state

Mathematics58%-16 vs state

Science41%-23 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Robert Lucas Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a teacher
Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Robert Lucas Elementary reported the greatest increase in reading achievement scores in the Iowa City School District for the 2017-2018 School year. Close Quote

Schools Near Robert Lucas Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				ISASP English Language Arts (2025)			ISASP Mathematics (2025)			ISASP Science (2025)	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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 4th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 3rd Grade	ISASP Mathematics 4th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 5th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Robert Lucas Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	830 Southlawn Dr	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1140	245	18	13.5	49.4%	106 (43.3%)	82 (33.5%)	27 (11.0%)	4 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.6%)	18.7	493^rd of 576 public elementary schools	14.4%		34.5	420^th of 557 public elementary schools	24.6%	73	67.5	52.6	51.9	65.0	52.6	55.6	40.7	$14,649	$1,493	$13,155
Helen Lemme Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3100 Washington St	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1125	340	25	13.8	38.2%	209 (61.5%)	52 (15.3%)	60 (17.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.7%)	35.9	428^th of 576 public elementary schools	25.7%		60.7	245^th of 557 public elementary schools	56.0%	183	64.2	68.4	66.7	67.9	64.9	64.4	62.2	$12,605	$204	$12,400
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1355 DeForest Avenue	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1165	213	22	9.6	66.7%	75 (35.2%)	76 (35.7%)	49 (23.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (5.2%)	14.9	509^th of 576 public elementary schools	11.6%		23.3	462^nd of 557 public elementary schools	17.1%	47	52.0	66.7	60.0	60.0	54.2	35.0	40.0	$15,834	$1,165	$14,669
Herbert Hoover Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1355 Barrington Rd	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1110	464	36	12.8	46.6%	202 (43.5%)	75 (16.2%)	152 (32.8%)	14 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (4.5%)	41.5	393^rd of 576 public elementary schools	31.8%		55.5	297^th of 557 public elementary schools	46.7%	96	69.2	77.1	70.9	69.2	62.7	60.0	61.8
Longfellow Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1130 Seymour Ave	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1135	325	30	10.8	53.5%	143 (44.0%)	86 (26.5%)	66 (20.3%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (8.0%)	35.1	435^th of 576 public elementary schools	24.5%		37	401^st of 557 public elementary schools	28.0%	34	59.6	82.5	61.3	55.3	71.9	58.1	58.1	$13,112	$279	$12,833
Grant Wood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1930 Lakeside Dr	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1180	306	28	10.8	68.0%	61 (19.9%)	153 (50.0%)	70 (22.9%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	17 (5.6%)	11.6	522^nd of 576 public elementary schools	9.4%		7.9	520^th of 557 public elementary schools	6.6%	2	56.8	64.9	43.2	43.2	59.5	45.5	40.9	$15,646	$1,067	$14,579
Horace Mann Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	521 N Dodge St	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1145	207	18	11.4	33.8%	123 (59.4%)	49 (23.7%)	19 (9.2%)	5 (2.4%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (4.8%)	56.6	280^th of 576 public elementary schools	51.4%		49.5	333^rd of 557 public elementary schools	40.2%	53	81.5	74.3	74.1	77.8	60.0	74.1	81.5	$16,025	$649	$15,377
Alexander Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3571 Sycamore St.	Iowa City	52240	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(319) 688-1095	436	38	11.3	75.9%	98 (22.5%)	170 (39.0%)	139 (31.9%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (5.0%)	11.4	523^rd of 576 public elementary schools	9.2%		17.1	482^nd of 557 public elementary schools	13.5%	41	53.7	63.0	46.6	59.7	47.8	48.3	41.4	$15,246	$1,427	$13,819
Bohumil Shimek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 Grissel Place	Iowa City	52245	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1160	181	16	11.3	18.8%	124 (68.5%)	23 (12.7%)	10 (5.5%)	10 (5.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (7.7%)	65.7	214^th of 576 public elementary schools	62.8%		75.1	111^th of 557 public elementary schools	80.1%	103	87.1	78.3	38.9	96.8	91.3	73.7	55.6	$14,044	$230	$13,813
Lincoln Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	300 Teeters Court	Iowa City	52246	Johnson County	Iowa City Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(319) 688-1130	217	15	14.4	35.9%	119 (54.8%)	44 (20.3%)	15 (6.9%)	23 (10.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	14 (6.5%)	76.7	110^th of 576 public elementary schools	80.9%		75.9	105^th of 557 public elementary schools	81.1%	5	69.4	85.3	84.6	86.1	85.3	88.5	80.8	$13,259	$202	$13,057

Frequently Asked Questions about Robert Lucas Elementary School

Is Robert Lucas Elementary School a good school?

Robert Lucas Elementary School ranks in the bottom 14.4% of Iowa elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Robert Lucas Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Robert Lucas Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Southeast Middle School
High : Iowa City High School

How many students attend Robert Lucas Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 245 students attended Robert Lucas Elementary School.

What district is Robert Lucas Elementary School in?

Iowa City Community School District

What is the racial makeup of Robert Lucas Elementary School?

Students at Robert Lucas Elementary School are 43% White, 33% African American, 11% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Rate Robert Lucas Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

IAIowa Elementary School Rankings

IAIowa District Rankings

Schools in Iowa City, IA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Robert Lucas Elementary School!

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.