Enrollment
1,146
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Council Bluffs, IA
Thomas Jefferson High School
Federal NCES profile for Thomas Jefferson High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 190822000435
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thomas Jefferson High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Iowa.
- #3 of 3
- high schools in Council Bluffs · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.9:1
- large classes for Iowa
- 54.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Thomas Jefferson High School has class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Jefferson High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Council Bluffs, IA.
School address
District: Council Bluffs Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 190822000435 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.1%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thomas Jefferson High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thomas Jefferson High School
Thomas Jefferson High School is a higher-need, large high school in Council Bluffs, Iowa, enrolling 1,146 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.9:1 is larger than about 88% of Iowa schools and 21% above the 14.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 54.1% of students qualify for free meals, 49% above the Iowa average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Iowa, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,146 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Against 37 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #21.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 48/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 288 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 54.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Council Bluffs's high schools, it stands alongside Abraham Lincoln High School (1,333 students): Thomas Jefferson High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.9:1 vs 15.3:1).
Council Bluffs Comm School District also operates Abraham Lincoln High School (1,333 students) and Gerald W Kirn Middle School (913 students) alongside Thomas Jefferson 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 Thomas Jefferson High School compares
Thomas Jefferson 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 | 17.9:1 | ▲ 21% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.1% | ▲ 49% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,146 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,146
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% above the Iowa average of 36.4%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 88% in Iowa - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
54.5%
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
$14,703
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 288 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 138 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.4 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 69.1%
Hispanic or Latino 19.4%
African American 5.4%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 69.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Thomas Jefferson High School is more mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Council Bluffs Comm School District, which includes Thomas Jefferson High School.
$14,703
Per student
+14%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 53.5%
Federal 16.3%
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 Thomas Jefferson High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gerald W Kirn Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodrow Wilson Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| College View Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thomas Jefferson High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,333
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 913
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 855
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 488
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 455
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Council Bluffs
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~1,146 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thomas Jefferson High School's federal record.
- Compare Thomas Jefferson High School against another school. Compare schools
- Council Bluffs 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 Thomas Jefferson High School
How many students attend Thomas Jefferson High School?
Thomas Jefferson High School has 1,146 students enrolled. It is a high school in Council Bluffs, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thomas Jefferson High School is 17.9:1, which is 21% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thomas Jefferson High School?
54.1% of students at Thomas Jefferson High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thomas Jefferson High School?
The largest demographic group at Thomas Jefferson High School is White at 69.1% of enrollment, in Council Bluffs, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thomas Jefferson High School?
Thomas Jefferson High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Thomas Jefferson High School rank among high schools in Council Bluffs?
By Resource Investment Index, Thomas Jefferson High School ranks #3 of 3 high schools in Council Bluffs, IA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Council Bluffs on the city page.
Is Thomas Jefferson High School a good school?
Thomas Jefferson High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Iowa schools. 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 Council Bluffs Comm School District?
Besides Thomas Jefferson High School, Council Bluffs Comm School District also operates Abraham Lincoln High School (1,333 students), Gerald W Kirn Middle School (913 students), and Woodrow Wilson Middle School (855 students). See the Council Bluffs 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.