Enrollment
300
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jewell, IA
South Hamilton Middle and High School
Federal NCES profile for South Hamilton Middle and High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192664001549
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Hamilton Middle and High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Iowa schools.
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 22.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 300
- students enrolled
South Hamilton Middle and High School has class sizes smaller than 71% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: South Hamilton Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192664001549 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
22.6%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Hamilton Middle and High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Hamilton Middle and High School
South Hamilton Middle and High School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Jewell, Iowa, enrolling 300 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 22.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 300 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 406 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #329, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 316 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Jewell's public schools, it stands alongside South Hamilton Elem (370 students): South Hamilton Middle and High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.5:1 vs 16.8:1).
Its district, South Hamilton Comm School District, also runs South Hamilton Elem (370 students).
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 South Hamilton Middle and High School compares
South Hamilton Middle and 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 16% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 22.6% | ▼ 38% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 300 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
300
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
22.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 29% in Iowa - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.7%
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
$11,897
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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 82.7%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
Two or More 3.7%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 82.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 29.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 29.9, South Hamilton Middle and High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Hamilton Comm School District, which includes South Hamilton Middle and High School.
$11,897
Per student
-7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.0%
State 36.7%
Federal 9.4%
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 South Hamilton Middle and High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hamilton Elem | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Hamilton Middle and High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 370
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Jewell
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~300 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Hamilton Middle and High School's federal record.
- Compare South Hamilton Middle and High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Hamilton 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 South Hamilton Middle and High School
How many students attend South Hamilton Middle and High School?
South Hamilton Middle and High School has 300 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jewell, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Hamilton Middle and High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Hamilton Middle and High School is 12.5:1, which is 16% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 20% 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 South Hamilton Middle and High School?
22.6% of students at South Hamilton Middle and High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Hamilton Middle and High School?
The largest demographic group at South Hamilton Middle and High School is White at 82.7% of enrollment, in Jewell, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Hamilton Middle and High School?
South Hamilton Middle and High School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is South Hamilton Middle and High School a good school?
South Hamilton Middle and High School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 South Hamilton Comm School District?
Besides South Hamilton Middle and High School, South Hamilton Comm School District also operates South Hamilton Elem (370 students). See the South Hamilton 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.