Enrollment
356
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Sheldon, IA
Sheldon High School
Federal NCES profile for Sheldon High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 192598001474
👥 S:T ratio 43
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sheldon High School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Sheldon · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 33.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sheldon High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sheldon High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Sheldon, IA.
School address
District: Sheldon Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192598001474 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sheldon High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sheldon High School
Sheldon High School is a mid-sized high school in Sheldon, Iowa, enrolling 356 students.
At 14.2:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.0% lands close to the Iowa typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 356 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 458 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #121.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%) (diversity index 49/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 180 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Sheldon Comm School District also operates East Elementary School (468 students) and Sheldon Middle School (312 students) alongside Sheldon 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 Sheldon High School compares
Sheldon 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.0% | ▼ 9% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 356 | top 40% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
356
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 54% in Iowa - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.8%
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
$11,261
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 180 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.7 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 65.4%
Hispanic or Latino 29.5%
Two or More 2.0%
African American 1.1%
Asian 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Largest group: White at 65.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.5, Sheldon High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sheldon Comm School District, which includes Sheldon High School.
$11,261
Per student
-12%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.8%
State 49.7%
Federal 12.4%
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 Sheldon High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sheldon Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Little Orabs Preschool | Smaller | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Sheldon High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 312
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 43
- 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 (~356 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sheldon High School's federal record.
- Compare Sheldon High School against another school. Compare schools
- Sheldon 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 Sheldon High School
How many students attend Sheldon High School?
Sheldon High School has 356 students enrolled. It is a high school in Sheldon, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sheldon High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sheldon High School is 14.2:1, which is 4% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% 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 Sheldon High School?
33.0% of students at Sheldon High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sheldon High School?
The largest demographic group at Sheldon High School is White at 65.4% of enrollment, in Sheldon, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sheldon High School?
Sheldon High School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sheldon High School rank among public schools in Sheldon?
By Resource Investment Index, Sheldon High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Sheldon, 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 Sheldon on the city page.
Is Sheldon High School a good school?
Sheldon High School earns 45/100 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 Sheldon Comm School District?
Besides Sheldon High School, Sheldon Comm School District also operates East Elementary School (468 students), Sheldon Middle School (312 students), and Little Orabs Preschool (43 students). See the Sheldon 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.