Enrollment
273
Iowa · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fairbank, IA
Wapsie Valley High School
Federal NCES profile for Wapsie Valley High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 192976001700
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wapsie Valley High School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Iowa schools.
- #3 of 6
- public schools in Fairbank · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.4:1
- small classes for Iowa
- 13.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Wapsie Valley High School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Iowa schools. Computed live against every Iowa school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wapsie Valley High School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Fairbank, IA.
School address
District: Wapsie Valley Comm School District · Iowa
NCES ID 192976001700 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 14.8:1 Iowa avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.2%
vs 36.4% Iowa avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wapsie Valley High School compares with Iowa and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wapsie Valley High School
Wapsie Valley High School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fairbank, Iowa, enrolling 273 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Iowa schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.2% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the Iowa average.
With 273 students, its enrollment sits close to the Iowa median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 92% of the 1,322 Iowa schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 210 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Iowa schools statewide, it ranks #205, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment) (diversity index 12/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 273 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Fairbank's public schools, it stands alongside Fairbank Elementary School (187 students): Wapsie Valley High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.4:1 vs 12.5:1).
Wapsie Valley Comm School District also operates Fairbank Elementary School (187 students) and Readlyn Elementary School (107 students) alongside Wapsie Valley 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 Wapsie Valley High School compares
Wapsie Valley 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 16% | 14.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.2% | ▼ 64% | 36.4% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 273 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
273
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 27% in Iowa - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
36.3%
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
$12,349
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 273 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 93.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Two or More 2.9%
Largest group: White at 93.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.8, Wapsie Valley High School is less mixed than the Iowa school average of 33.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wapsie Valley Comm School District, which includes Wapsie Valley High School.
$12,349
Per student
-4%
vs Iowa
Avg $12,854
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 41.8%
State 49.9%
Federal 8.3%
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 Wapsie Valley High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbank Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Readlyn Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rural Elementary School #1 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rural Elementary School #2 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rural Elementary School #4 | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wapsie Valley High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 187
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 107
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 29
- Students per teacher
- 29:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Fairbank
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~273 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wapsie Valley High School's federal record.
- Compare Wapsie Valley High School against another school. Compare schools
- Wapsie Valley 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 Wapsie Valley High School
How many students attend Wapsie Valley High School?
Wapsie Valley High School has 273 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fairbank, IA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wapsie Valley High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wapsie Valley High School is 12.4:1, which is 16% lower than the Iowa average of 14.8:1 and 21% 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 Wapsie Valley High School?
13.2% of students at Wapsie Valley High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Iowa average of 36.4%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wapsie Valley High School?
The largest demographic group at Wapsie Valley High School is White at 93.8% of enrollment, in Fairbank, IA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wapsie Valley High School?
Wapsie Valley High School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 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 Wapsie Valley High School rank among public schools in Fairbank?
By Resource Investment Index, Wapsie Valley High School ranks #3 of 6 public schools in Fairbank, 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 Fairbank on the city page.
Is Wapsie Valley High School a good school?
Wapsie Valley High School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Iowa schools. 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 Wapsie Valley Comm School District?
Besides Wapsie Valley High School, Wapsie Valley Comm School District also operates Fairbank Elementary School (187 students), Readlyn Elementary School (107 students), and Rural Elementary School #1 (29 students). See the Wapsie Valley 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.