High school (grades 9-12) · Spencer, IA

Spencer High School

Federal NCES profile for Spencer High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.

2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 192691001582
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Compiled from official source data by .
0/100100/10033/100
👥 S:T ratio
31
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
29
📋 Attendance
0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Spencer High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools.

#3 of 5
public schools in Spencer · Resource Index
33
Resource Index · Typical
17.2:1
large classes for Iowa
32.9%
free-lunch eligible

Spencer High School has class sizes larger than 86% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Spencer High School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Spencer, IA.

School address

Spencer, IA 51301
District: Spencer Comm School District · Iowa

NCES ID 192691001582 Verify on NCES CCD record →

CCD year-over-year · 2022-23 → 2023-24

+6 students YoY

Spencer High School held near 718 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+6 headcount).

Teacher FTE lost 40.7 → 40.0 across the same CCD years.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data public-school universe (2022-23, 2023-24).

Steady CCD campus

+6 students YoY 192691001582 · Spencer, IA High · MID · TRAD

688 enr · 17.2:1 · 32.9% lunch · RII 33

Nearest enrollment peer: Spencer Middle School (514 students)

Spencer High School held near 718 students from 2022-23 to 2023-24 (+6 headcount). Teacher FTE lost 40.7 → 40.0 across the same CCD years. Read with this school → · District book → · Iowa schools → · Find another →

Spencer High School in the enrollment neighbourhood

Fall enrollment among this campus and nearest district peers

students

What this shows Spencer High School reports 688 students on the CCD universe file.

Source U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data (Public School Universe) As of 2024-25

How Spencer High School compares

Spencer High School held steady on CCD headcount: ratios and free-lunch share vs Iowa and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Iowa Iowa avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 17.2:1 ▲ 16% 14.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 32.9% ▼ 10% 36.4% 51.7%
Enrollment 688 top 9% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
688
Bigger than 79% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators methodology

Economic need
32.9%
free-lunch eligible - 10% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher - 16% above state mean
Top 86% in Iowa - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
43.8%
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
$12,460
per pupil, district-wide - below Iowa avg of $13,441
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 355 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
46
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Student demographics

White 86.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 2.6%
Asian 0.9%
African American 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Largest group: White at 86.9% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 23.6/100

Simpson diversity index - at 23.6, Spencer High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.

Programs

AP courses offered 7
Gifted & talented Yes

District finance for Spencer Comm School District reports $12,460 per pupil (NCES F-33) - open the district page for the full revenue mix.

How Spencer High School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Spencer Middle School Smaller Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Lincoln Elementary School Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio
Fairview Park Elementary Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Johnson Elementary Smaller Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Spencer High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Spencer Comm School District · 4 sibling schools

View district profile

Nationwide high schools with similar size or staffing

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by student-teacher ratio, not the same-city or same-district lists above.

Similar enrollment (~688 students)

Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)

Frequently asked questions about Spencer High School

How many students attend Spencer High School?

Spencer High School has 688 students enrolled. It is a high school in Spencer, IA. CCD year-over-year: 712 (2022-23) → 718 (2023-24), nearly flat (+6).

What is the student-teacher ratio at Spencer High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Spencer High School is 17.2:1, which is 16% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Spencer High School?

32.9% of students at Spencer High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Spencer High School?

The largest demographic group at Spencer High School is White at 86.9% of enrollment, in Spencer, IA.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Spencer High School?

Spencer High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, gifted-program reporting, counselor availability, chronic absenteeism. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).

How does Spencer High School rank among public schools in Spencer?

By Resource Investment Index, Spencer High School ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Spencer, 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 Spencer on the city page.

What other schools are in Spencer Comm School District?

Besides Spencer High School, Spencer Comm School District also operates Spencer Middle School (514 students), Lincoln Elementary School (442 students), and Fairview Park Elementary (249 students). See the Spencer Comm School District district page for the complete list.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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Compiled from official source data by .