1
What's the most underrated thing about Pella High School that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
801
High
DISTRICT 410 · STATE 468
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PELLA COMM SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 192247001350
Pella High School
212 E University St, Pella, IA 50219 · (641) 628-3870 · Marion County
GRADES 09–12HIGH32-TOWNREGULAR SCHOOL801 STUDENTS
A+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 96% of Iowa public high schools
- A+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Iowa public high schools
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
49 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.1:1 · STATE 17.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
15%
117 students
DISTRICT 16% · STATE 41%
Community
5
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 198 | 25% |
| Grade 10 | 202 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 209 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 192 | 24% |
Student demographics
26%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 24% · STATE 48% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within Pella Comm School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
ISASP 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
90.3%
IA avg 73.6% . -0.3pp since 2023
Math
87.5%
IA avg 70.9% . +1.3pp since 2023
What this means: On the ISASP, Iowa's statewide test, about 90 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 88 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Iowa schools, those numbers are about 74 and 71. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2023, while math scores are up about 1 points.
ISASP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 90.3% | 87.5% |
| 2023-24 | 90.6% | 86.2% |
% Proficient, all students and all tested grades.
Source: ISASP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
88.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
84.6%
based on IA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+3.8pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 88% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 85% typical for Iowa schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Iowa's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Pella High School
Pella High School's state test result (88.5% proficient) is higher than 4 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pella High School this school | 801 | 14.6% | 88.5% |
| Norwalk Senior High School Norwalk | 1,035 | 15.1% | 75.2% |
| Dallas Center-Grimes High School Grimes | 1,073 | 17.8% | 75.7% |
| ADM Senior High School Adel | 666 | 19.2% | 90.1% |
| Waverly-Shell Rock Senior High School Waverly | 737 | 17.5% | 82.9% |
| North Polk High School Alleman | 644 | 10.2% | 84.6% |
Matched among Iowa high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Pella High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 88.5% | #8 of 313 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 87.5% | #9 of 314 ▲ 5 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 90.3% | #15 of 314 ▼ 1 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 801 | #59 of 340 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.3:1 | #199 of 259 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 25.7% | #112 of 260 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 14.6% | #305 of 320 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +19.7% | #40 of 133 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
801
+86 (+12%) vs 2020
+62% since 1990-91, when it was 493
Student : Teacher
16.3:1
was 15.5:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 801 | 49.2 | 16.3:1 | 15% (117) |
| 2023-24 | 791 | 46.5 | 17.0:1 | 14% (107) |
| 2022-23 | 764 | 44.4 | 17.2:1 | 14% (104) |
| 2020-21 | 715 | 46 | 15.5:1 | 13% (90) |
| 2017-18 | 669 | 48.3 | 13.9:1 | 13% (85) |
| 2015-16 | 677 | 47 | 14.4:1 | 17% (118) |
| 2010-11 | 686 | 44 | 15.6:1 | 17% (120) |
| 2000-01 | 647 | 40 | 16.2:1 | 6% (41) |
| 1990-91 | 493 | 31 | 15.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Pella High School.
Since 2017-18: students up 20% (669 to 801); teachers up 2% (48.3 to 49.2).
About Pella High School
Pella High School is a large high school found in Pella, Iowa. It enrolled 801 students in grades 9 through 12 for the 2024-25 school year. Enrollment is 71% higher than the average for high schools in Iowa, which is about 468.
Pella High School is part of a district of 6 schools: Pella Comm School District, with 2,462 students.
White students make up 86% of enrollment at Pella High School. The remaining students are 5% multiracial, 4% Hispanic, 2% Black, and 2% Asian. Census figures show Marion County is about 94% White. Pella High School's diversity index is 26%, against a US figure of 70%.
Its 49.2 full-time-equivalent teachers give the school a ratio of 16.3:1. The school has fewer students per teacher than the 17.3:1 average for high schools in Iowa. The school's lunch program data list 15% of students as eligible for free or reduced-price meals. That rate is below the 29% average among public schools in Marion County.
Measured against Iowa public high schools, Pella High School receives an A+. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
Pella High School sits between the top and bottom 10% of Iowa schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate on state tests of 88.5% and a predicted 84.6%.
Within Marion County, the median household income is $78,680, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 32% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 6%. In all, Marion County has 17 public schools and roughly 5,571 students.
Pella Middle School is the closest public school, about 0.3 miles away in a straight line. In all, 5 other public schools sit within five miles of Pella High School. Of the 7 nearby schools with scores, including this one, Pella High School is 2nd on average proficiency.
The federal government classifies Pella High School's location as Town: Distant.
Pella High School's enrollment grew from 715 in 2020-21 to 801 in 2024-25.
If you have questions about school safety, transportation, and start times at Pella High School, you can post them here. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Marion County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
33,642
Census ACS
Median income
$78,680
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
32%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
17
5,571 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Pella Comm School District
- Jefferson IntermediateMiddle · 494 students
- Madison Elementary SchoolElementary · 401 students
- Pella Middle SchoolMiddle · 375 students
- Lincoln Elementary SchoolElementary · 254 students
- Viersen Early Learning CenterElementary · 137 students
Other schools in Pella
- Jefferson IntermediateMiddle · 494 students
- Madison Elementary SchoolElementary · 401 students
- Pella Middle SchoolMiddle · 375 students
- Lincoln Elementary SchoolElementary · 254 students
- Viersen Early Learning CenterElementary · 137 students
Nearby schools
- Pella Middle School0.3 mi · 375
- Jefferson Intermediate0.4 mi · 494
- Madison Elementary School0.4 mi · 401
- Viersen Early Learning Center0.6 mi · 137
- Lincoln Elementary School1.0 mi · 254
- Northstar Elementary School11.5 mi · 348
Frequently asked questions
About Pella High SchoolWhat is the total enrollment at Pella High School?
Pella High School enrolls approximately 801 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Pella High School serve?
Pella High School serves grades 09-12.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pella High School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Pella High School is approximately 16.3:1 (49 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Pella High School?
Student demographics at Pella High School are roughly 86% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Black, 2% Asian, 5% Two or more.
Who oversees Pella High School?
Pella High School is overseen by Pella Comm School District in Marion County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.