Enrollment
910
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Ottumwa, IA
Ottumwa High School
Federal NCES profile for Ottumwa 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 192211001322
👥 S:T ratio 54
📚 AP courses 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ottumwa High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #6 of 11
- public schools in Ottumwa · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 34.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Ottumwa High School has class sizes smaller than 84% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ottumwa High School ranks #6 of 11 public schools in Ottumwa, IA.
School address
District: Ottumwa Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192211001322 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
80.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.5%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ottumwa High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ottumwa High School
Ottumwa High School is a large high school in Ottumwa, Iowa, enrolling 910 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.5% 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 95% of state schools at 910 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 99 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 5 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 240 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 70.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Ottumwa's high schools, it stands alongside The Gateway Center (213 students): Ottumwa High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.4:1 vs 71:1).
Ottumwa Comm School District also operates Evans Middle School (684 students) and Liberty Elementary School (633 students) alongside Ottumwa 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 Ottumwa High School compares
Ottumwa 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 23% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.5% | ▼ 5% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 910 | top 5% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
910
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 16% in Iowa - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
70.3%
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
$12,042
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
Counselors3.8 FTE
Per 239 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 136 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.6 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
White 48.5%
Hispanic or Latino 31.6%
African American 10.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 6.1%
Asian 2.2%
Two or More 1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 48.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.0, Ottumwa High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ottumwa Comm School District, which includes Ottumwa High School.
$12,042
Per student
-6%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.3%
State 63.3%
Federal 17.4%
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 Ottumwa High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evans Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pickwick Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wilson Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Douma Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ottumwa High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 684
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 560
- Students per teacher
- 22.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 335
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 327
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar high schools in Ottumwa
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 (~910 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ottumwa High School's federal record.
- Compare Ottumwa High School against another school. Compare schools
- Ottumwa 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 Ottumwa High School
How many students attend Ottumwa High School?
Ottumwa High School has 910 students enrolled. It is a high school in Ottumwa, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ottumwa High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ottumwa High School is 11.4:1, which is 23% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 27% 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 Ottumwa High School?
34.5% of students at Ottumwa High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ottumwa High School?
The largest demographic group at Ottumwa High School is White at 48.5% of enrollment, in Ottumwa, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ottumwa High School?
Ottumwa High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Ottumwa High School rank among public schools in Ottumwa?
By Resource Investment Index, Ottumwa High School ranks #6 of 11 public schools in Ottumwa, 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 Ottumwa on the city page.
Is Ottumwa High School a good school?
Ottumwa High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Ottumwa Comm School District?
Besides Ottumwa High School, Ottumwa Comm School District also operates Evans Middle School (684 students), Liberty Elementary School (633 students), and Pickwick Early Childhood Center (560 students). See the Ottumwa 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.