Enrollment
316
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Van Meter, IA
Van Meter High School
Federal NCES profile for Van Meter 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 192901001672
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Van Meter High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Iowa median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Van Meter · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 5.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Van Meter High School has class sizes near the Iowa median. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Van Meter High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Van Meter, IA.
School address
District: Van Meter Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192901001672 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.8%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Van Meter High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Van Meter High School
Van Meter High School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized high school in Van Meter, Iowa, enrolling 316 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.8% free-meal eligibility runs 84% below the Iowa average.
With 316 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,322 scored Iowa schools.
Among 100 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #89, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 351 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Van Meter Comm School District spends $9,282 per pupil, 28% below the Iowa average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Van Meter Comm School District also operates Van Meter Elementary School (578 students) and Van Meter Middle School (252 students) alongside Van Meter 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 Van Meter High School compares
Van Meter 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.8% | ▼ 84% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 316 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
316
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% below the Iowa average of 36.4%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 66% in Iowa - lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$9,282
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
1
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.8 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 90.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Two or More 2.5%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 90.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.3, Van Meter High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Van Meter Comm School District, which includes Van Meter High School.
$9,282
Per student
-28%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-44%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.1%
State 45.5%
Federal 7.4%
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 Van Meter High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Meter Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Van Meter Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Van Meter High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 578
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 252
- Students per teacher
- 50.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~316 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Van Meter High School's federal record.
- Compare Van Meter High School against another school. Compare schools
- Van Meter 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 Van Meter High School
How many students attend Van Meter High School?
Van Meter High School has 316 students enrolled. It is a high school in Van Meter, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Van Meter High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Van Meter High School is 15:1, which is 1% higher than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Van Meter High School?
5.8% of students at Van Meter High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Van Meter High School?
The largest demographic group at Van Meter High School is White at 90.8% of enrollment, in Van Meter, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Van Meter High School?
Van Meter High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Van Meter High School rank among public schools in Van Meter?
By Resource Investment Index, Van Meter High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Van Meter, 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 Van Meter on the city page.
Is Van Meter High School a good school?
Van Meter High School earns 39/100 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 Van Meter Comm School District?
Besides Van Meter High School, Van Meter Comm School District also operates Van Meter Elementary School (578 students) and Van Meter Middle School (252 students). See the Van Meter 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.