Enrollment
801
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pella, IA
Pella High School
Federal NCES profile for Pella High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 192247001350
👥 S:T ratio 27
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pella High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Iowa schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Pella · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.2:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 10.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pella High School has class sizes larger than 90% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pella High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Pella, IA.
School address
District: Pella Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192247001350 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.7%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-71% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pella High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pella High School
Pella High School is a lower-poverty, large high school in Pella, Iowa, enrolling 801 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.2:1 is larger than about 90% of Iowa schools and 23% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.7% free-meal eligibility runs 71% below the Iowa average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 93% of state schools at 801 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 95 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #70, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 572 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Pella Comm School District also operates Jefferson Intermediate (494 students) and Madison Elementary School (401 students) alongside Pella 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 Pella High School compares
Pella 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 | 18.2:1 | ▲ 23% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.7% | ▼ 71% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 801 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
801
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 71% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.2:1
students per teacher
- 23% above state mean
Top 90% in Iowa - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,689
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
Counselors1.4 FTE
Per 572 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 18 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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 85.9%
Two or More 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
African American 2.1%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 85.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.7, Pella High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pella Comm School District, which includes Pella High School.
$11,689
Per student
-9%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 48.5%
State 43.6%
Federal 7.9%
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 Pella High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Intermediate | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Madison Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pella Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pella High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 494
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 401
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
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 (~801 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pella High School's federal record.
- Compare Pella High School against another school. Compare schools
- Pella 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 Pella High School
How many students attend Pella High School?
Pella High School has 801 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pella, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pella High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pella High School is 18.2:1, which is 23% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Pella High School?
10.7% of students at Pella High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pella High School?
The largest demographic group at Pella High School is White at 85.9% of enrollment, in Pella, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pella High School?
Pella High School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Pella High School rank among public schools in Pella?
By Resource Investment Index, Pella High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Pella, 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 Pella on the city page.
Is Pella High School a good school?
Pella High School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Pella Comm School District?
Besides Pella High School, Pella Comm School District also operates Jefferson Intermediate (494 students), Madison Elementary School (401 students), and Pella Middle School (375 students). See the Pella 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.