High school (grades 9-12) · Iowa City, IA

Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School

Federal NCES profile for Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 191470001030
0/100100/10040/100
👥 S:T ratio
58
📚 AP courses
10
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
64
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.

#1 of 3
high schools in Iowa City · Resource Index
40
Resource Index · Typical
10.6:1
small classes for Iowa
64.0%
free-lunch eligible

Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School has class sizes smaller than 90% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Iowa City, IA.

Enrollment

180

Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

17.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

10.6:1

vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg

-28% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

64.0%

vs 36.4% Iowa avg

+76% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians

Smaller classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School

Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Iowa City, Iowa, enrolling 180 students.

Classes run notably small here: at 10.6:1, Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School is leaner than roughly 90% of Iowa schools and 28% under the state's 14.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.

Economic need is high: 64.0% of students qualify for free meals, 76% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.

Enrollment of 180 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.

Against 33 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #16.

Its student body is led by African American (42%) and White (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).

No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.

Counselor coverage is strong, about 180 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 86.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

Discipline events run high: 37 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 180 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

Among Iowa City's high schools, it stands alongside Iowa City High School (1,666 students): Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.6:1 vs 15.9:1).

Iowa City Comm School District also operates Iowa City High School (1,666 students) and West Senior High School (1,514 students) alongside Elizabeth Tate Alt. 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 Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School compares

Elizabeth Tate Alt. 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 10.6:1 ▼ 28% 14.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 64.0% ▲ 76% 36.4% 51.7%
Enrollment 180 top 80% - -

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

10.6:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
180
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
64.0%
free-lunch eligible - 76% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.6:1
students per teacher - 28% below state mean
Top 10% in Iowa - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
86.7%
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
$13,920
per pupil, district-wide - above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 180 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 20.6 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

African American 42.0%
White 27.3%
Hispanic or Latino 21.0%
Two or More 8.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Asian 0.6%

Largest group: African American at 42.0% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 69.8/100

Simpson diversity index - at 69.8, Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.

Programs

AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Iowa City Comm School District, which includes Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School.

$13,920
Per student
+8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.7%
State 41.5%
Federal 12.8%

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 Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Iowa City High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
West Senior High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Liberty High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Southeast Junior High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio
Northwest Junior High School Larger Lower economic need Higher S:T ratio

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

Other Schools in This District

Iowa City Comm School District · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar high schools in Iowa City

2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School's federal record.

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 Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School

How many students attend Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School?

Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School has 180 students enrolled. It is a high school in Iowa City, IA.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School is 10.6:1, which is 28% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 32% 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 Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School?

64.0% of students at Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School?

The largest demographic group at Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School is African American at 42.0% of enrollment, in Iowa City, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.8/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School?

Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School rank among high schools in Iowa City?

By Resource Investment Index, Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Iowa City, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Iowa City on the city page.

Is Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School a good school?

Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Iowa schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Iowa City Comm School District?

Besides Elizabeth Tate Alt. High School, Iowa City Comm School District also operates Iowa City High School (1,666 students), West Senior High School (1,514 students), and Liberty High School (1,286 students). See the Iowa City Comm School District district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 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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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.