Enrollment
478
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Atlantic, IA
Atlantic High School
Federal NCES profile for Atlantic High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190393000090
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Atlantic High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Iowa schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Atlantic · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.1:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 30.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Atlantic High School has class sizes larger than 85% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Atlantic High School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Atlantic, IA.
School address
District: Atlantic Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190393000090 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Atlantic High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Atlantic High School
Atlantic High School is a mid-sized high school in Atlantic, Iowa, enrolling 478 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 478 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 378 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #264.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 23/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 2 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 239 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Atlantic Comm School District also operates Washington Elementary School (554 students) and Atlantic Middle School (349 students) alongside Atlantic High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Atlantic High School compares
Atlantic High School on the metrics families compare, against Iowa and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▲ 16% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.3% | ▼ 17% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 478 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
478
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 85% in Iowa - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$11,731
per pupil, district-wide
- below Iowa avg of $12,854
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 239 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
72
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 15.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 87.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 5.7%
African American 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 87.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.6, Atlantic High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Atlantic Comm School District, which includes Atlantic High School.
$11,731
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.4%
State 38.1%
Federal 9.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Atlantic High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Atlantic Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Schuler Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Atlantic High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 554
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 349
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 206
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Iowa, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~478 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Atlantic High School's federal record.
- Compare Atlantic High School against another school. Compare schools
- Atlantic Comm School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Atlantic High School
How many students attend Atlantic High School?
Atlantic High School has 478 students enrolled. It is a high school in Atlantic, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Atlantic High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Atlantic High School is 17.1:1, which is 16% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 9% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Atlantic High School?
30.3% of students at Atlantic High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Atlantic High School?
The largest demographic group at Atlantic High School is White at 87.6% of enrollment, in Atlantic, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Atlantic High School?
Atlantic High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Atlantic High School rank among public schools in Atlantic?
By Resource Investment Index, Atlantic High School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Atlantic, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Atlantic on the city page.
Is Atlantic High School a good school?
Atlantic High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of Iowa schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Atlantic Comm School District?
Besides Atlantic High School, Atlantic Comm School District also operates Washington Elementary School (554 students), Atlantic Middle School (349 students), and Schuler Elementary School (206 students). See the Atlantic Comm School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.