Enrollment
1,020
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Council Bluffs, IA
Lewis Central Senior High School
Federal NCES profile for Lewis Central Senior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 191668000996
👥 S:T ratio 24
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lewis Central Senior High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Council Bluffs · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 30.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Lewis Central Senior High School has class sizes larger than 92% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lewis Central Senior High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Council Bluffs, IA.
School address
District: Lewis Central Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 191668000996 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.3%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lewis Central Senior High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lewis Central Senior High School
Lewis Central Senior High School is a large high school in Council Bluffs, Iowa, enrolling 1,020 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.9:1 is larger than about 92% of Iowa schools and 28% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,020 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 78 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #36.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 35/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 360 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 264 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,020 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Council Bluffs's high schools, it stands alongside Abraham Lincoln High School (1,333 students): Lewis Central Senior High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.9:1 vs 15.3:1).
Lewis Central Comm School District also operates Titan Hill Intermediate School (901 students) and Lewis Central Middle School (720 students) alongside Lewis Central 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 Lewis Central Senior High School compares
Lewis Central 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 | 18.9:1 | ▲ 28% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.3% | ▼ 17% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,020 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,020
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 28% above state mean
Top 92% in Iowa - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$11,807
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
Counselors2.8 FTE
Per 360 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
190
in-school suspensions + 74 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.9 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 79.4%
Hispanic or Latino 13.5%
Two or More 4.2%
African American 2.2%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.9, Lewis Central Senior High School is about as mixed as the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lewis Central Comm School District, which includes Lewis Central Senior High School.
$11,807
Per student
-8%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-29%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.7%
State 41.3%
Federal 10.0%
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 Lewis Central Senior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titan Hill Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lewis Central Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| E a Kreft Primary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lewis Central Senior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 901
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 502
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar high schools in Council Bluffs
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.
Similar enrollment (~1,020 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lewis Central Senior High School's federal record.
- Compare Lewis Central Senior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Lewis Central 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 Lewis Central Senior High School
How many students attend Lewis Central Senior High School?
Lewis Central Senior High School has 1,020 students enrolled. It is a high school in Council Bluffs, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lewis Central Senior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lewis Central Senior High School is 18.9:1, which is 28% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lewis Central Senior High School?
30.3% of students at Lewis Central Senior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lewis Central Senior High School?
The largest demographic group at Lewis Central Senior High School is White at 79.4% of enrollment, in Council Bluffs, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lewis Central Senior High School?
Lewis Central Senior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Lewis Central Senior High School rank among high schools in Council Bluffs?
By Resource Investment Index, Lewis Central Senior High School ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Council Bluffs, 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 Council Bluffs on the city page.
Is Lewis Central Senior High School a good school?
Lewis Central Senior High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Iowa schools. 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 Lewis Central Comm School District?
Besides Lewis Central Senior High School, Lewis Central Comm School District also operates Titan Hill Intermediate School (901 students), Lewis Central Middle School (720 students), and E a Kreft Primary School (502 students). See the Lewis Central 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.