Enrollment
555
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Decorah, IA
Decorah High School
Federal NCES profile for Decorah High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190873000501
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Decorah High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Decorah · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 18.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Decorah High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Decorah High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Decorah, IA.
School address
District: Decorah Community School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190873000501 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-50% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Decorah High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Decorah High School
Decorah High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Decorah, Iowa, enrolling 555 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.2% free-meal eligibility runs 50% below the Iowa average.
Enrollment of 555 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.
Among 249 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #215, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 555 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Decorah Community School District also operates Decorah Middle School (432 students) and John Cline Elementary School (300 students) alongside Decorah 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 Decorah High School compares
Decorah 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.2% | ▼ 50% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 555 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
555
Bigger than 68% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 50% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 66% in Iowa - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.0%
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
$13,274
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 555 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
37
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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 90.3%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Two or More 1.6%
Asian 1.1%
African American 0.9%
Largest group: White at 90.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.0, Decorah High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decorah Community School District, which includes Decorah High School.
$13,274
Per student
+3%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.6%
State 43.0%
Federal 9.3%
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 Decorah High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decorah Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| John Cline Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carrie Lee Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Decorah High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 215
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
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 (~555 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Decorah High School's federal record.
- Compare Decorah High School against another school. Compare schools
- Decorah Community 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 Decorah High School
How many students attend Decorah High School?
Decorah High School has 555 students enrolled. It is a high school in Decorah, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Decorah High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Decorah High School is 15:1, which is 1% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Decorah High School?
18.2% of students at Decorah High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Decorah High School?
The largest demographic group at Decorah High School is White at 90.3% of enrollment, in Decorah, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Decorah High School?
Decorah High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Decorah High School rank among public schools in Decorah?
By Resource Investment Index, Decorah High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Decorah, 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 Decorah on the city page.
Is Decorah High School a good school?
Decorah High School earns 39/100 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 Decorah Community School District?
Besides Decorah High School, Decorah Community School District also operates Decorah Middle School (432 students), John Cline Elementary School (300 students), and Carrie Lee Elementary (215 students). See the Decorah Community 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.