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Sawyer Elementary School

Q: Is Sawyer Elementary School a good school?

Sawyer Elementary School ranks 286 th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

286^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 576 Iowa Elementary Schools

Better than 50% of Iowa elementary schools

Summary

Sawyer Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Ames, Iowa, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 375 students. It is part of the Ames Community School District, which is ranked 145 out of 313 school districts in Iowa and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Over the past decade, Sawyer Elementary School has experienced a significant decline in its statewide ranking and rating, dropping from 33rd out of 599 Iowa elementary schools with a 5-star rating in 2015-2016 to 286th out of 576 with a 3-star rating currently. The school has consistently high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 16.1% to 29.2% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages. While Sawyer's test scores are generally above the state average, they are lower than the Ames Community School District average across most grade levels and subject areas.

When comparing Sawyer Elementary School to other nearby schools within the Ames Community School District, some interesting patterns emerge. Fellows Elementary School consistently outperforms Sawyer on test scores and has a higher statewide ranking, while Mitchell Elementary School has a lower statewide ranking and similar test scores. The data suggests that Sawyer Elementary School may benefit from a closer examination of the factors contributing to its declining performance and the implementation of strategies to address the needs of its student population.

371

Students ?

11.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,702

Per pupil spending ?

36.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

4316 Ontario St
Ames, IA 50010

(515) 239-3790

District: Ames Community School District

Students who attend Sawyer Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ames Middle School
High:	Ames High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.2%

Hispanic:

11.9%

African American:

8.6%

See top rated Iowa elementary schools

Compare Sawyer Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Rebounding — 29th percentile in 2019 → 50th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranking is rebounding — up to 50th (2025) from a 29th-percentile low (2019)

✓Above the Iowa median (50th percentile)

✓Small classes — about 11 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school73%

District avg76%

Iowa avg71%

286^th of 576

Iowa public elementary schools ?

Top 50%▼ down 30 pts since 2015

From top 20% (2015) to top 50% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Iowa Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Elementary Schools in the Ames Community School District

145^th of 313Ames 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	55.9	286 of 576	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.9	313 of 557	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.7	379 of 565	32.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.3	320 of 574	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.2	327 of 567	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	36.5	428 of 603	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	77.8	86 of 567	84.8%	★★★★☆
2017	80.5	62 of 574	89.2%	★★★★☆
2016	85.0	33 of 599	94.5%	★★★★★
2015	75.3	122 of 616	80.2%	★★★★☆
2014	68.5	186 of 603	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	66.5	195 of 624	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2012	64.5	226 of 626	63.9%	★★★☆☆

By subject vs Iowa (2024-2025) ?

Science73%+9 vs state

Mathematics73%~ state avg

English Language Arts72%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Sawyer 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 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
Sawyer Elementary School	Public	K-5	4316 Ontario St	Ames	50010	Story County	Ames Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 239-3790	371	34	11.0	36.1%	242 (65.2%)	32 (8.6%)	44 (11.9%)	26 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (7.3%)	55.9	286^th of 576 public elementary schools	50.3%		52.9	313^th of 557 public elementary schools	43.8%	27	72.9	70.8	73.4		70.0	77.1	73.8		73.4	$11,702	$347	$11,356
Edwards Elementary School	Public	K-5	820 Miller Ave	Ames	50014	Story County	Ames Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 239-3760	436	34	13.0	44.5%	242 (55.5%)	77 (17.7%)	49 (11.2%)	38 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (6.9%)	52.9	309^th of 576 public elementary schools	46.4%		56.2	288^th of 557 public elementary schools	48.3%	21	73.5	76.3	67.9		86.8	69.5	67.5		63.3	$12,690	$743	$11,949
Fellows Elementary School	Public	K-5	1235 20th St.	Ames	50010	Story County	Ames Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 239-3765	489	38	12.9	28.8%	276 (56.4%)	25 (5.1%)	67 (13.7%)	83 (17.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (7.0%)	78.7	86^th of 576 public elementary schools	85.1%		76.5	97^th of 557 public elementary schools	82.6%	11	85.2	73.1	85.9		86.4	80.6	89.7		87.2	$12,124	$816	$11,308
Meeker Elementary School	Public	K-5	300 20th Street	Ames	50010	Story County	Ames Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 239-3770	361	32	11.2	42.1%	253 (70.1%)	19 (5.3%)	34 (9.4%)	9 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (12.2%)	62.7	238^th of 576 public elementary schools	58.7%		63.8	216^th of 557 public elementary schools	61.2%	22	71.7	86.7	71.7		78.3	75.6	71.7		76.7	$13,221	$1,032	$12,190
Mitchell Elementary School	Public	K-5	3521 Jewel Dr	Ames	50010	Story County	Ames Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 239-3775	314	25	12.5	55.7%	149 (47.5%)	55 (17.5%)	72 (22.9%)	15 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (7.3%)	50.5	327^th of 576 public elementary schools	43.2%		66.2	189^th of 557 public elementary schools	66.1%	138	53.8	84.8	74.0		59.0	76.1	72.0		68.0	$12,211	$780	$11,433
United Community School	Public	PK, KG-6	1284 U Ave	Boone	50036	Boone County	United Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 432-5319	329	27	12.3	19.5%	292 (88.8%)	5 (1.5%)	19 (5.8%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.0%)	38.5	409^th of 576 public elementary schools	29.0%		24.5	458^th of 557 public elementary schools	17.8%	49	68.3	56.0	62.2	76.0	68.3	68.0	67.6	80.0	54.1	$14,969	$674	$14,296
Gilbert Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	109 Rothmoor	Gilbert	50105	Story County	Gilbert Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 232-3744	409	25	16.3	5.4%	343 (83.9%)	5 (1.2%)	19 (4.6%)	21 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.9%)								(n/a)										$12,378	$377	$12,000
Gilbert Intermediate School	Public	3-5	103 Mathews Dr	Gilbert	50105	Story County	Gilbert Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(515) 232-3748	356	21	16.8	8.1%	288 (80.9%)	7 (2.0%)	24 (6.7%)	20 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.8%)	91.2	12^th of 576 public elementary schools	97.9%		92.8	4^th of 557 public elementary schools	99.3%	8	91.4	90.8	89.0		92.2	95.8	90.7		92.4	$11,603	$317	$11,285
Ledges Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-1	1805 Hancock Drive	Boone	50036	Boone County	Boone Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(515) 433-0750	336	27	12.4	40.8%	285 (84.8%)	7 (2.1%)	25 (7.4%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (5.1%)								(n/a)
Ballard West Elementary	Public	PK, KG-2	105 E Main St	Slater	50244	Story County	Ballard Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(515) 228-3890	451	30	15.0	18.8%	410 (90.9%)	6 (1.3%)	23 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.4%)								(n/a)										$13,797	$324	$13,473

Frequently Asked Questions about Sawyer Elementary School

How many students attend Sawyer Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 371 students attended Sawyer Elementary School.

Is Sawyer Elementary School a good school?

Sawyer Elementary School ranks 286^th of 576 Iowa elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Sawyer Elementary School?

Students at Sawyer Elementary School are 65% White, 12% Hispanic, 9% African American, 7% Two or more races, 7% Asian.

What district is Sawyer Elementary School in?

Ames Community School District

What schools do graduates of Sawyer Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Sawyer Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Ames Middle School
High : Ames High School

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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.