Enrollment
754
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Carlisle, IA
Carlisle High School
Federal NCES profile for Carlisle High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190627000215
👥 S:T ratio 14
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Carlisle High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Carlisle · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 23.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Carlisle High School has class sizes larger than 95% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Carlisle High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Carlisle, IA.
School address
District: Carlisle Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190627000215 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+45% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Carlisle High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Carlisle High School
Carlisle High School is a large high school in Carlisle, Iowa, enrolling 754 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.5:1 is larger than about 95% of Iowa schools and 45% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 93% of state schools at 754 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 162 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #152, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 419 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Carlisle Comm School District also operates Carlisle Elementary School (715 students) and Carlisle Middle School (518 students) alongside Carlisle 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 Carlisle High School compares
Carlisle 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 | 21.5:1 | ▲ 45% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.4% | ▼ 36% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 754 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
754
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 45% above state mean
Top 95% in Iowa - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
26.1%
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
$10,562
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
Counselors1.8 FTE
Per 419 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.3 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 81.9%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 2.5%
African American 1.2%
Largest group: White at 81.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.6, Carlisle High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlisle Comm School District, which includes Carlisle High School.
$10,562
Per student
-18%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.0%
State 56.1%
Federal 9.9%
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 Carlisle High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carlisle Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hartford Upper Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Carlisle High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 715
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 518
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 303
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~754 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Carlisle High School's federal record.
- Compare Carlisle High School against another school. Compare schools
- Carlisle 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 Carlisle High School
How many students attend Carlisle High School?
Carlisle High School has 754 students enrolled. It is a high school in Carlisle, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Carlisle High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Carlisle High School is 21.5:1, which is 45% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Carlisle High School?
23.4% of students at Carlisle High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Carlisle High School?
The largest demographic group at Carlisle High School is White at 81.9% of enrollment, in Carlisle, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Carlisle High School?
Carlisle High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Carlisle High School rank among public schools in Carlisle?
By Resource Investment Index, Carlisle High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Carlisle, 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 Carlisle on the city page.
Is Carlisle High School a good school?
Carlisle High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% 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 Carlisle Comm School District?
Besides Carlisle High School, Carlisle Comm School District also operates Carlisle Elementary School (715 students), Carlisle Middle School (518 students), and Hartford Upper Elementary (303 students). See the Carlisle 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.