Enrollment
225
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Neola, IA
Tri-Center High School
Federal NCES profile for Tri-Center High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 192799001632
👥 S:T ratio 47
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tri-Center High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Neola · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 23.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Tri-Center High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Center High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Neola, IA.
School address
District: Tri-Center Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192799001632 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tri-Center High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tri-Center High School
Tri-Center High School is a mid-sized high school in Neola, Iowa, enrolling 225 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 225 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 346 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #95.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 256 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Tri-Center Comm School District also operates Tri-Center Elementary School (364 students) and Tri-Center Middle School (135 students) alongside Tri-Center 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 Tri-Center High School compares
Tri-Center 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 | 13.2:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.8% | ▼ 35% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 225 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
225
Bigger than 22% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 38% in Iowa - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,402
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
Counselors0.9 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.6 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 91.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
African American 1.3%
Asian 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Two or More 0.4%
Largest group: White at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.7, Tri-Center High 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 Tri-Center Comm School District, which includes Tri-Center High School.
$11,402
Per student
-11%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.8%
State 50.7%
Federal 9.5%
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 Tri-Center High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-Center Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tri-Center Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tri-Center High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 135
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- 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 (~225 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tri-Center High School's federal record.
- Compare Tri-Center High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tri-Center 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 Tri-Center High School
How many students attend Tri-Center High School?
Tri-Center High School has 225 students enrolled. It is a high school in Neola, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tri-Center High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tri-Center High School is 13.2:1, which is 11% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 16% 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 Tri-Center High School?
23.8% of students at Tri-Center High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tri-Center High School?
The largest demographic group at Tri-Center High School is White at 91.1% of enrollment, in Neola, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tri-Center High School?
Tri-Center High School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Tri-Center High School rank among public schools in Neola?
By Resource Investment Index, Tri-Center High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Neola, 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 Neola on the city page.
Is Tri-Center High School a good school?
Tri-Center High School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median. 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 Tri-Center Comm School District?
Besides Tri-Center High School, Tri-Center Comm School District also operates Tri-Center Elementary School (364 students) and Tri-Center Middle School (135 students). See the Tri-Center 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.