Enrollment
458
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Des Moines, IA
Saydel High School
Federal NCES profile for Saydel High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 192532001447
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Saydel High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #3 of 6
- high schools in Des Moines · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 51.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Saydel High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Saydel High School ranks #3 of 6 high schools in Des Moines, IA.
School address
District: Saydel Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192532001447 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Saydel High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Saydel High School
Saydel High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Des Moines, Iowa, enrolling 458 students.
At 13.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Iowa median, within a few percentage points of the 14.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 51.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 458 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 227 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #202, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 49/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 458 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 166 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 458 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Des Moines's high schools, it stands alongside Lincoln High School (2,364 students): Saydel High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.9:1 vs 26.3:1).
Saydel Comm School District also operates Cornell Elementary School (555 students) and Woodside Middle School (396 students) alongside Saydel 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 Saydel High School compares
Saydel 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 | 13.9:1 | ▼ 6% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.2% | ▲ 41% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 458 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.9:1
Leaner classes than 58% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
458
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
13.9:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 48% in Iowa - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.2%
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
$14,530
per pupil, district-wide
- above Iowa avg of $12,854
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 458 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
96
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.2 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 68.1%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
Two or More 9.0%
African American 2.0%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 68.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.6, Saydel High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saydel Comm School District, which includes Saydel High School.
$14,530
Per student
+13%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.5%
State 24.9%
Federal 10.6%
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 Saydel High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodside Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Saydel High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 396
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
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 26.3:1 students per teacher
Roosevelt High School
Standard public school
2,051 students 31.1:1 students per teacher
East High School
Standard public school
1,952 students 20.8:1 students per teacher
North High School
Standard public school
1,428 students 21.6:1 students per teacher
Hoover High School
Standard public school
898 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~458 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Saydel High School's federal record.
- Compare Saydel High School against another school. Compare schools
- Saydel 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 Saydel High School
How many students attend Saydel High School?
Saydel High School has 458 students enrolled. It is a high school in Des Moines, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Saydel High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Saydel High School is 13.9:1, which is 6% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 11% 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 Saydel High School?
51.2% of students at Saydel High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Saydel High School?
The largest demographic group at Saydel High School is White at 68.1% of enrollment, in Des Moines, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Saydel High School?
Saydel High School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Saydel High School rank among high schools in Des Moines?
By Resource Investment Index, Saydel High School ranks #3 of 6 high schools in Des Moines, 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 Des Moines on the city page.
Is Saydel High School a good school?
Saydel High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Saydel Comm School District?
Besides Saydel High School, Saydel Comm School District also operates Cornell Elementary School (555 students) and Woodside Middle School (396 students). See the Saydel 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.