Enrollment
291
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Leon, IA
Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School
Federal NCES profile for Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190690000297
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Leon · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.6:1
- students per teacher
- 52.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Leon, IA.
School address
District: Central Decatur Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190690000297 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.6:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+45% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School
Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Leon, Iowa, enrolling 291 students.
At 14.6:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 52.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 291 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 211 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #173, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (95% of enrollment) (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 291 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Leon's public schools, it stands alongside South Elementary School (173 students): Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.6:1 vs 10.2:1).
Central Decatur Comm School District also operates South Elementary School (173 students) and North Elementary School (168 students) alongside Central Decatur Ms/Hs 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 Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School compares
Central Decatur Ms/Hs 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 | 14.6:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.6% | ▲ 45% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 291 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.6:1
Leaner classes than 51% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
291
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 45% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.6:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 60% in Iowa - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
40.2%
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
$13,169
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 291 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 35 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.5 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 94.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
Two or More 1.7%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 94.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 10.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 10.0, Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Decatur Comm School District, which includes Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School.
$13,169
Per student
+2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.4%
State 58.3%
Federal 15.3%
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 Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 173
- Students per teacher
- 10.2:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 168
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Leon
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~291 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School's federal record.
- Compare Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School against another school. Compare schools
- Central Decatur 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 Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School
How many students attend Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School?
Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School has 291 students enrolled. It is a public school in Leon, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School is 14.6:1, which is 1% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School?
52.6% of students at Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School?
The largest demographic group at Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School is White at 94.8% of enrollment, in Leon, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School?
Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School rank among public schools in Leon?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Leon, 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 Leon on the city page.
Is Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School a good school?
Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Central Decatur Comm School District?
Besides Central Decatur Ms/Hs High School, Central Decatur Comm School District also operates South Elementary School (173 students) and North Elementary School (168 students). See the Central Decatur 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.