Enrollment
1,428
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 190897000566
North High School — Des Moines, IA
Federal NCES profile for North High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 24/100.
👥 Class size 12
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Des Moines Independent Comm School District · Iowa
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
66.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 15:1 Iowa avg
+47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+116% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
North High School reports 1,428 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 66.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 22.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 47% above the Iowa state mean of 15:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 39% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 78.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 116% above the Iowa average and 52% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 357 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 65.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Des Moines Independent Comm School District spends $16,255 per pupil district-wide, below the Iowa average of $17,211 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 29.4% from local sources (property taxes), 56.2% from the state, and 14.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F), calculated from 5 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How North High School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Iowa state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Iowa | Iowa avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.1:1 | ▲ 47% | 15:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.6% | ▲ 116% | 36.4% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,428 | top 98% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
78.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 116% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
— 47% above state mean
Top 96% in Iowa — lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
65.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$16,255
per pupil, district-wide
— below Iowa avg of $17,211
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 357 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 105 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,428 Top 98% in Iowa — larger than 2% of 1,326 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 66.0
Students per teacher 22.1:1 +47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 78.6% +116% vs state
NCES ID 190897000566
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 38.7%
African American 23.9%
White 19.5%
Asian 10.9%
Two or More 5.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 38.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 4.0
Students per counselor 357:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 65.4%
In-school suspensions 19
Out-of-school suspensions 105
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Des Moines Independent Comm School District, which includes North High School.
$16,255
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $17,211
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 56.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,364
- Students per teacher
- 26.7:1
- Enrollment
- 2,051
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Enrollment
- 1,952
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
Similar high schools in Des Moines
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Lincoln High School
Standard public school
2,364 students 26.7:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt High School
Standard public school
2,051 students 30.1:1 students per teacher
East High School
Standard public school
1,952 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Hoover High School
Standard public school
898 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Saydel High School
Standard public school
458 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about North High School
How many students attend North High School?
North High School has 1,428 students enrolled. It is a high school in Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North High School?
The student-teacher ratio at North High School is 22.1:1, which is 47% higher than the Iowa average of 15:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North High School?
78.6% of students at North High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North High School?
The largest demographic group at North High School is Hispanic or Latino at 38.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Des Moines, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North High School?
North High School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.