Enrollment
1,722
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pleasant Hill, IA
Southeast Polk High School
Federal NCES profile for Southeast Polk High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 192682001572
👥 S:T ratio 44
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southeast Polk High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #1 of 4
- public schools in Pleasant Hill · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.9:1
- students per teacher
- 26.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Southeast Polk High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southeast Polk High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Pleasant Hill, IA.
School address
District: Southeast Polk Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192682001572 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
124.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.9%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southeast Polk High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southeast Polk High School
Southeast Polk High School is a large high school in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, enrolling 1,722 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 below the state's typical profile, with 26.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,722 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 32 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #9.
Its student body is led by White (72%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 46/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 246 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 55.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Southeast Polk Comm School District also operates Spring Creek - 6th Grade (1,112 students) and Southeast Polk Junior High (1,088 students) alongside Southeast Polk 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 Southeast Polk High School compares
Southeast Polk 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 | 26.9% | ▼ 26% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,722 | top 1% | - | - |
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.
1,722
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
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
55.3%
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
$11,914
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
Counselors7.0 FTE
Per 246 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
144
in-school suspensions + 170 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.2 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 72.2%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
African American 9.2%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.5, Southeast Polk High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Southeast Polk Comm School District, which includes Southeast Polk High School.
$11,914
Per student
-7%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.9%
State 52.1%
Federal 10.0%
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 Southeast Polk High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Creek - 6th Grade | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southeast Polk Junior High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clay Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willowbrook Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Four Mile Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southeast Polk High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,112
- Students per teacher
- 32.7:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,088
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 700
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 523
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 495
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~1,722 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southeast Polk High School's federal record.
- Compare Southeast Polk High School against another school. Compare schools
- Southeast Polk 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 Southeast Polk High School
How many students attend Southeast Polk High School?
Southeast Polk High School has 1,722 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pleasant Hill, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southeast Polk High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Southeast Polk 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 Southeast Polk High School?
26.9% of students at Southeast Polk High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southeast Polk High School?
The largest demographic group at Southeast Polk High School is White at 72.2% of enrollment, in Pleasant Hill, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southeast Polk High School?
Southeast Polk High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Southeast Polk High School rank among public schools in Pleasant Hill?
By Resource Investment Index, Southeast Polk High School ranks #1 of 4 public schools in Pleasant Hill, 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 Pleasant Hill on the city page.
Is Southeast Polk High School a good school?
Southeast Polk High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa. 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 Southeast Polk Comm School District?
Besides Southeast Polk High School, Southeast Polk Comm School District also operates Spring Creek - 6th Grade (1,112 students), Southeast Polk Junior High (1,088 students), and Clay Elementary (700 students). See the Southeast Polk 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.