Enrollment
712
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Independence, IA
Independence Junior Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Independence Junior Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 191458000866
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Junior Senior High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Independence · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 26.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence Junior Senior High School has class sizes larger than 72% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Junior Senior High School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Independence, IA.
School address
District: Independence Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191458000866 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Independence Junior Senior High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence Junior Senior High School
Independence Junior Senior High School is a large combined-grade school in Independence, Iowa, enrolling 712 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.8% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 92% of state schools at 712 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 187 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #44.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 356 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Independence's public schools, it stands alongside Early Childhood Center (46 students): Independence Junior Senior High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.5:1 vs 46:1).
Independence Comm School District also operates West Elementary School (360 students) and East Elementary School (265 students) alongside Independence Junior Senior 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 Independence Junior Senior High School compares
Independence Junior Senior 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 | 15.5:1 | ▲ 5% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.8% | ▼ 26% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 712 | top 8% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
712
Bigger than 81% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 5% above state mean
Top 72% in Iowa - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
18.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,829
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 356 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
45
in-school suspensions + 54 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.9 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 90.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Two or More 3.9%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.1%
Largest group: White at 90.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.9, Independence Junior Senior High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Independence Comm School District, which includes Independence Junior Senior High School.
$11,829
Per student
-8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.9%
State 50.7%
Federal 11.4%
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 Independence Junior Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Independence Junior Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 360
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 265
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 46
- Students per teacher
- 46:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Independence
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~712 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Junior Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Independence Junior Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Independence 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 Independence Junior Senior High School
How many students attend Independence Junior Senior High School?
Independence Junior Senior High School has 712 students enrolled. It is a public school in Independence, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Junior Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Junior Senior High School is 15.5:1, which is 5% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Independence Junior Senior High School?
26.8% of students at Independence Junior Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Junior Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Independence Junior Senior High School is White at 90.4% of enrollment, in Independence, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Junior Senior High School?
Independence Junior Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Independence Junior Senior High School rank among public schools in Independence?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Junior Senior High School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Independence, 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 Independence on the city page.
Is Independence Junior Senior High School a good school?
Independence Junior Senior High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of 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 Independence Comm School District?
Besides Independence Junior Senior High School, Independence Comm School District also operates West Elementary School (360 students), East Elementary School (265 students), and Early Childhood Center (46 students). See the Independence 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.