Enrollment
1,499
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Dubuque, IA
Hempstead High School
Federal NCES profile for Hempstead High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190948000608
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hempstead High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #15 of 18
- public schools in Dubuque · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 33.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Hempstead High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hempstead High School ranks #15 of 18 public schools in Dubuque, IA.
School address
District: Dubuque Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190948000608 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
109.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-8% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hempstead High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hempstead High School
Hempstead High School is a large high school in Dubuque, Iowa, enrolling 1,499 students.
At 13.8:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.4% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,499 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 44 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 40/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 250 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Dubuque's high schools, it stands alongside Dubuque Senior High School (1,490 students): Hempstead High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13.8:1 vs 11:1).
Dubuque Comm School District also operates Dubuque Senior High School (1,490 students) and Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School (1,081 students) alongside Hempstead 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 Hempstead High School compares
Hempstead 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 7% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.4% | ▼ 8% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,499 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,499
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 8% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 47% in Iowa - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
44.8%
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
$13,854
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 250 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
45
in-school suspensions + 101 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.7 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 77.0%
African American 7.6%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Two or More 4.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.9%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: White at 77.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.5, Hempstead High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dubuque Comm School District, which includes Hempstead High School.
$13,854
Per student
+8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.2%
State 50.4%
Federal 14.4%
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 Hempstead High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque Senior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George Washington Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Eisenhower Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carver Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hempstead High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,490
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 1,081
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 584
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 568
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 499
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Dubuque
1 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.
Similar enrollment (~1,499 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hempstead High School's federal record.
- Compare Hempstead High School against another school. Compare schools
- Dubuque 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 Hempstead High School
How many students attend Hempstead High School?
Hempstead High School has 1,499 students enrolled. It is a high school in Dubuque, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hempstead High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hempstead High School is 13.8:1, which is 7% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 12% 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 Hempstead High School?
33.4% of students at Hempstead High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hempstead High School?
The largest demographic group at Hempstead High School is White at 77.0% of enrollment, in Dubuque, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hempstead High School?
Hempstead High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Hempstead High School rank among public schools in Dubuque?
By Resource Investment Index, Hempstead High School ranks #15 of 18 public schools in Dubuque, 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 Dubuque on the city page.
Is Hempstead High School a good school?
Hempstead High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 Dubuque Comm School District?
Besides Hempstead High School, Dubuque Comm School District also operates Dubuque Senior High School (1,490 students), Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School (1,081 students), and George Washington Middle School (584 students). See the Dubuque 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.