Enrollment
353
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Donnellson, IA
Central Lee High School
Federal NCES profile for Central Lee High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190693000302
👥 S:T ratio 39
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Lee High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Donnellson · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 31.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Lee High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Lee High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Donnellson, IA.
School address
District: Central Lee Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190693000302 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Lee High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Lee High School
Central Lee High School is a mid-sized high school in Donnellson, Iowa, enrolling 353 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 31.6% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 353 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 461 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #70.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 15/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 353 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Central Lee Comm School District also operates Central Lee Elementary School (564 students) and Central Lee Middle School (394 students) alongside Central Lee 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 Lee High School compares
Central Lee 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.6% | ▼ 13% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 353 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
353
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 69% in Iowa - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,698
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 353 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.2 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 92.1%
Two or More 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.0%
African American 0.8%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 92.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 14.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 14.9, Central Lee High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Lee Comm School District, which includes Central Lee High School.
$10,698
Per student
-17%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.3%
State 39.4%
Federal 10.3%
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 Lee High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Lee Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Lee Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Lee High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 564
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 394
- Students per teacher
- 28.1:1
- 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 (~353 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Lee High School's federal record.
- Compare Central Lee High School against another school. Compare schools
- Central Lee 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 Lee High School
How many students attend Central Lee High School?
Central Lee High School has 353 students enrolled. It is a high school in Donnellson, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Lee High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Lee High School is 15.3:1, which is 3% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Lee High School?
31.6% of students at Central Lee High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Lee High School?
The largest demographic group at Central Lee High School is White at 92.1% of enrollment, in Donnellson, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Lee High School?
Central Lee High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Central Lee High School rank among public schools in Donnellson?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Lee High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Donnellson, 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 Donnellson on the city page.
Is Central Lee High School a good school?
Central Lee High School earns 48/100 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 Lee Comm School District?
Besides Central Lee High School, Central Lee Comm School District also operates Central Lee Elementary School (564 students) and Central Lee Middle School (394 students). See the Central Lee 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.