Enrollment
241
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Paullina, IA
South O'brien Secondary School
Federal NCES profile for South O'brien Secondary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 190002601341
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 52
📋 Attendance 50
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South O'brien Secondary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Iowa schools.
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.1:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 25.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 241
- students enrolled
South O'brien Secondary School has class sizes smaller than 76% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: South O'brien Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190002601341 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.1:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.0%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South O'brien Secondary School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at South O'brien Secondary School
South O'brien Secondary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Paullina, Iowa, enrolling 241 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 241 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 383 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #99.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 241 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district, South O'brien Comm School District, also runs South O'brien Elem Sch Primghar Center (328 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 O'brien Secondary School compares
South O'brien Secondary 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 | 12.1:1 | ▼ 18% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.0% | ▼ 31% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 241 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.1:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
241
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
12.1:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 24% in Iowa - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,327
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 241 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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 90.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 2.9%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 90.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.9, South O'brien Secondary School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South O'brien Comm School District, which includes South O'brien Secondary School.
$14,327
Per student
+11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 60.3%
State 28.5%
Federal 11.2%
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 O'brien Secondary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South O'brien Elem Sch Primghar Center | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South O'brien Secondary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~241 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South O'brien Secondary School's federal record.
- Compare South O'brien Secondary School against another school. Compare schools
- South O'brien 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 O'brien Secondary School
How many students attend South O'brien Secondary School?
South O'brien Secondary School has 241 students enrolled. It is a public school in Paullina, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South O'brien Secondary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South O'brien Secondary School is 12.1:1, which is 18% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 23% 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 O'brien Secondary School?
25.0% of students at South O'brien Secondary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South O'brien Secondary School?
The largest demographic group at South O'brien Secondary School is White at 90.9% of enrollment, in Paullina, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South O'brien Secondary School?
South O'brien Secondary School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher 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 O'brien Secondary School a good school?
South O'brien Secondary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% 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 O'brien Comm School District?
Besides South O'brien Secondary School, South O'brien Comm School District also operates South O'brien Elem Sch Primghar Center (328 students). See the South O'brien 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.