High school (grades 9-12) · Denison, IA

Denison High School

Federal NCES profile for Denison 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 190891000508
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10036/100
👥 S:T ratio
29
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
22
📋 Attendance
22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Denison High School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools.

#3 of 4
public schools in Denison · Resource Index
36
Resource Index · Typical
17.7:1
large classes for Iowa
48.3%
free-lunch eligible

Denison High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Denison High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Denison, IA.

School address

Denison, IA 51442
District: Denison Comm School District · Iowa

NCES ID 190891000508 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

-13 students YoY

Denison High School held near 773 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-13 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 44.6 → 43.6 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

-13 students YoY 190891000508 · Denison, IA High · MID · TRAD

777 enr · 17.7:1 · 48.3% lunch · RII 36

Nearest enrollment peer: Denison Elementary School (691 students)

Denison High School held near 773 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (-13 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 44.6 → 43.6 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Iowa schools → · Find another →

Denison High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Denison High School reports 777 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Denison High School compares

Denison High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Iowa and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Iowa Iowa avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 17.7:1 ▲ 20% 14.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 48.3% ▲ 33% 36.4% 51.7%
Enrollment 777 top 7% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
777
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
48.3%
free-lunch eligible - 33% 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
17.7:1
students per teacher - 20% above state mean
Top 88% in Iowa - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$12,757
per pupil, district-wide - below Iowa avg of $13,441
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 389 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

Hispanic or Latino 63.4%
White 30.4%
African American 3.2%
Asian 1.8%
Two or More 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 63.4% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 50.4/100

Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Denison High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.

Programs

AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Denison Comm School District reports $12,757 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Denison High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Denison Elementary School Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Denison Middle School Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Broadway Elementary School Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Denison High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Denison Comm School District · 3 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~777 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.7:1)

Frequently asked questions about Denison High School

How many students attend Denison High School?

Denison High School has 777 students enrolled. It is a high school in Denison, IA. CCD year-over-year: 786 (2022-23) → 773 (2023-24), nearly flat (-13).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Denison High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Denison High School is 17.7:1, which is 20% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Denison High School?

48.3% of students at Denison High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Denison High School?

The largest demographic group at Denison High School is Hispanic or Latino at 63.4% of enrollment, in Denison, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Denison High School?

Denison High School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Denison High School rank among public schools in Denison?

By Resource Investment Index, Denison High School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Denison, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking.

What other schools are in Denison Comm School District?

Besides Denison High School, Denison Comm School District also operates Denison Elementary School (691 students), Denison Middle School (502 students), and Broadway Elementary School (288 students). See the Denison Comm School District district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .