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Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at Vinton-Shellsburg High School?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
414
High
DISTRICT 390 · STATE 468
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·VINTON-SHELLSBURG COMM SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 192931001681
Vinton-Shellsburg High School
210 W. 21st St., Vinton, IA 52349 · (319) 436-4728 · Benton County
GRADES 09–12HIGH41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL414 STUDENTS
A
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 87% of Iowa public high schools
- B+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
13.3:1
31 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.7:1 · STATE 17.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
50%
205 students
DISTRICT 52% · 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 | 119 | 29% |
| Grade 10 | 103 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 101 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 91 | 22% |
Student demographics
16%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 16% · 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 Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
ISASP 2024-25 . % ProficientEnglish Language Arts
80.2%
IA avg 73.6% . -4.1pp since 2023
Math
75.8%
IA avg 70.9% . +1.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the ISASP, Iowa's statewide test, about 80 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 76 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Iowa schools, those numbers are about 74 and 71. Reading and writing scores are down about 4 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 1 points.
ISASP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 80.2% | 75.8% |
| 2023-24 | 84.3% | 74.8% |
% Proficient, all students and all tested grades.
Source: ISASP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of IA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
78.5%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
67.2%
based on IA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+11.3pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 79% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 67% typical for Iowa schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 11 points, placing it in Iowa's top 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 Vinton-Shellsburg High School
Vinton-Shellsburg High School's state test result (78.5% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinton-Shellsburg High School this school | 414 | 49.5% | 78.5% |
| Centerville High School Centerville | 368 | 51.1% | 60.8% |
| Southeast Valley High School Gowrie | 340 | 47.1% | 57.3% |
| Maquoketa Community High School Maquoketa | 477 | 53.0% | 50.5% |
| Red Oak Junior/Senior High School Red Oak | 420 | 48.8% | 66.7% |
| Cardinal High School Eldon | 270 | 53.3% | 65.3% |
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 Vinton-Shellsburg High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 78.5% | #86 of 313 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 75.8% | #109 of 314 ▼ 6 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 80.2% | #121 of 314 ▼ 49 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 414 | #118 of 340 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 13.3:1 | #88 of 259 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 15.6% | #194 of 260 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 49.5% | #55 of 320 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -7.6% | #71 of 125 |
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
414
-39 (-9%) vs 2020
-16% since 1990-91, when it was 491
Student : Teacher
13.3:1
was 13.7:1
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 | 414 | 31.2 | 13.3:1 | 50% (205) |
| 2023-24 | 406 | 31.4 | 12.9:1 | 38% (154) |
| 2022-23 | 425 | 31.2 | 13.6:1 | 35% (150) |
| 2020-21 | 453 | 33 | 13.7:1 | 34% (153) |
| 2017-18 | 448 | 34.8 | 12.9:1 | 35% (159) |
| 2015-16 | 488 | 36 | 13.6:1 | 35% (172) |
| 2010-11 | 522 | 41 | 12.7:1 | 30% (156) |
| 2000-01 | 545 | 44 | 12.4:1 | 15% (82) |
| 1990-91 | 491 | 33 | 14.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Vinton-Shellsburg High School.
Since 2017-18: students down 8% (448 to 414); teachers down 10% (34.8 to 31.2).
About Vinton-Shellsburg High School
Vinton-Shellsburg High School is a medium-sized high school in Vinton, Iowa. Enrollment is 414 students in 2024-25, and the school serves grades 9 through 12.
Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District (4 schools, 1,558 students) runs Vinton-Shellsburg High School.
The student body at Vinton-Shellsburg High School is 91% White. Beyond that, enrollment is 4% multiracial and 3% Hispanic. That is close to the 95% White share among all Benton County residents. Vinton-Shellsburg High School's diversity index is 16%, against a US figure of 70%.
The school has about 13.3 students per teacher and 31.2 full-time-equivalent teachers. The school has fewer students per teacher than the 17.3:1 average for high schools in Iowa. About 50% of enrolled students meet the income rules for free or reduced-price lunch. Public schools in Benton County average 37%.
allk12 grades Vinton-Shellsburg High School an A. The grade compares the school only with Iowa public high schools, because each state gives its own test.
Vinton-Shellsburg High School posts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 78.5%. Schools with its free or reduced-price lunch share in Iowa are predicted to post 67.2%, so the school is 11.3 points ahead and in the state's top 10%.
Across Benton County, the median household income is $86,962, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 26% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 4%. Benton County is home to 12 public schools and about 3,919 public school students.
The closest other public school is Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School, about 0.5 miles away. Vinton-Shellsburg High School has 2 other public schools within five miles. Local comparison: Vinton-Shellsburg High School ranks 3rd of 7 nearby schools, at 78.5% versus a 78.0% average.
The school is in rural territory close to an urban area, according to its NCES locale (Rural: Fringe).
Over 4 years, Vinton-Shellsburg High School's enrollment declined 9%, to 414.
Discussion on this page can cover science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Reviews and ratings from people who know the school are welcome.
Benton County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
25,724
Census ACS
Median income
$86,962
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
26%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
4%
Below federal line
Schools in county
12
3,919 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District
- Tilford Elementary SchoolElementary · 544 students
- Vinton-Shellsburg Middle SchoolMiddle · 331 students
- Shellsburg Elementary SchoolElementary · 269 students
Other schools in Vinton
- Tilford Elementary SchoolElementary · 544 students
- Vinton-Shellsburg Middle SchoolMiddle · 331 students
Nearby schools
- Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School0.5 mi · 331
- Tilford Elementary School0.6 mi · 544
- Shellsburg Elementary School8.6 mi · 269
- Center Point-Urbana Intermediate School9.3 mi · 275
- Benton Community Senior High School10.0 mi · 473
- Benton Community Middle School10.0 mi · 235
Frequently asked questions
About Vinton-Shellsburg High SchoolHow many students attend Vinton-Shellsburg High School?
Vinton-Shellsburg High School enrolls approximately 414 students in grades 09-12.
What grades does Vinton-Shellsburg High School serve?
Vinton-Shellsburg High School serves grades 09-12.
How many students per teacher at Vinton-Shellsburg High School?
Approximately 13.3:1 students per teacher at Vinton-Shellsburg High School.
What is the student diversity at Vinton-Shellsburg High School?
Student demographics at Vinton-Shellsburg High School are roughly 91% White, 3% Hispanic, 1% Black, 0% Asian, 4% Two or more.
Who oversees Vinton-Shellsburg High School?
Vinton-Shellsburg High School is overseen by Vinton-Shellsburg Comm School District in Benton County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.