Enrollment
421
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Tama, IA
South Tama County High School
Federal NCES profile for South Tama County High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 192673001556
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 56
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Tama County High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Iowa schools.
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 46.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 421
- students enrolled
South Tama County High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.4%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Tama County High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Tama County High School
South Tama County High School is a mid-sized high school in Tama, Iowa, enrolling 421 students.
At 14:1, 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 46.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 421 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 315 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #130.
Its student body is led by White (47%) and Hispanic or Latino (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 222 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
South Tama County also operates South Tama County Elementary School (534 students) and South Tama County Middle School (413 students) alongside South Tama County 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 South Tama County High School compares
South Tama County 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.4% | ▲ 27% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 421 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
421
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 50% in Iowa - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
34.7%
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
$13,087
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors1.9 FTE
Per 222 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 42 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.5 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 46.7%
Hispanic or Latino 36.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.9%
Two or More 6.2%
African American 1.2%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 46.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.5, South Tama County 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 South Tama County, which includes South Tama County High School.
$13,087
Per student
+2%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.8%
State 56.6%
Federal 13.7%
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 Tama County High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Tama County Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Tama County Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Tama County High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 534
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 413
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~421 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Tama County High School's federal record.
- Compare South Tama County High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Tama County'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 Tama County High School
How many students attend South Tama County High School?
South Tama County High School has 421 students enrolled. It is a high school in Tama, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Tama County High School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Tama County High School is 14:1, which is 5% 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 South Tama County High School?
46.4% of students at South Tama County High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Tama County High School?
The largest demographic group at South Tama County High School is White at 46.7% of enrollment, in Tama, IA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Tama County High School?
South Tama County High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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).
Is South Tama County High School a good school?
South Tama County High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Tama County?
Besides South Tama County High School, South Tama County also operates South Tama County Elementary School (534 students) and South Tama County Middle School (413 students). See the South Tama County 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.