Sheldon High School

Q: Is Sheldon High School a good school?

Sheldon High School ranks 99 th of 338 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Sheldon High School is a public high school serving 342 students in grades 9-12 in Sheldon, Iowa. The school is part of the Sheldon Community School District, which is ranked 28th out of 309 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Sheldon High School consistently outperforms the state average in ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 88.1% of 10th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 73.8%. The school has a strong performance history, ranking in the top 30% of Iowa high schools in recent years and receiving a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in the 2023-2024 and 2020-2021 school years.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Sioux Center High School and Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School, Sheldon High School has a more diverse student population, with 23.39% of students identifying as Hispanic. Additionally, the school has a higher percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (39.18% in 2022-2023), which may indicate a larger population of students from lower-income families.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1700 East Fourth Street
Sheldon, IA 51201

(712) 324-2501

District: Sheldon Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
99^th of 338 Iowa High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,589

Feeder schools for Sheldon High School:

Elementary:	East Elementary School
Middle:	Sheldon Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.6

Number of students: 345

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.5%

Hispanic:

30.1%

African American:

2.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 38.6%

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Compare Sheldon High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sheldon High School ranks better than 70.7% of high schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 68.48. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Sheldon High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (65.5%), Hispanic (30.1%), African American (2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 38.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sheldon High School is 12.6. (See more...)

Compare Sheldon High School employs 27.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sheldon High School is $16,589.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Sheldon High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Sheldon High School 99^th of 338 Iowa public high schools. (See Sheldon High School in the ranking list.)

Sheldon Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Sheldon Community School District 28^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Sheldon High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	49.07	229^th	351	34.8%
2013	53.10	202^nd	351	42.5%
2014	38.56	235^th	322	27.0%
2015	54.24	172^nd	324	46.9%
2016	36.27	231^st	320	27.8%
2017	46.57	214^th	325	34.2%
2018	67.51	107^th	320	66.6%
2019	60.33	129^th	327	60.6%
2021	73.51	64^th	327	80.4%
2022	59.48	142^nd	332	57.2%
2023	62.55	122^nd	336	63.7%
2024	68.48	99^th	338	70.7%

See the entire list of Iowa High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Iowa Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

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Reviews:
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Enrollment information for Sheldon High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	381	2	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	387
1989	362	1	3	1	0	n/a	n/a	367
1990	350	1	4	2	1	n/a	n/a	358
1991	363	1	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	366
1992	368	1	4	0	0	n/a	n/a	373
1993	389	1	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	395
1994	391	2	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	395
1995	425	2	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	435
1996	425	2	0	8	0	n/a	n/a	435
1997	371	4	3	5	0	n/a	n/a	383
1998	399	1	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	405
1999	396	0	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	401
2000	371	0	4	0	5	n/a	n/a	380
2001	383	2	7	9	3	n/a	n/a	404
2002	350	0	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	362
2003	350	0	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	362
2004	361	0	10	10	1	n/a	n/a	382
2005	352	1	8	10	2	n/a	n/a	373
2006	349	13	6	1	3	n/a	n/a	372
2007	328	1	10	7	6	n/a	n/a	352
2008	337	1	8	12	7	n/a	n/a	365
2009	310	1	11	11	3	n/a	n/a	336
2010	304	0	12	13	1	0	4	334
2011	294	3	12	13	0	0	4	326
2012	285	1	9	15	0	0	6	316
2013	273	1	5	21	0	0	8	308
2014	267	2	3	24	0	0	2	298
2015	282	1	3	32	1	0	2	321
2016	292	4	4	48	3	0	3	354
2017	281	3	4	47	3	1	2	341
2018	269	5	4	58	5	1	3	345
2019	262	4	10	60	5	1	3	345
2020	267	3	8	59	4	2	1	344
2021	273	5	9	74	3	2	2	368
2022	262	3	9	73	1	1	3	352
2023	251	4	5	80	1	0	1	342
2024	226	7	4	104	0	1	3	345

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sheldon High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	387	26.8	14.4	11.9
1989	367	27.1	13.5	10.9
1990	358	27.1	13.2	11.7
1991	366	27.5	13.3	13.4
1992	373	28.0	13.3	8.8
1993	395	26.5	14.9	8.6
1994	395	26.5	14.9	10.6
1995	435	27.5	15.8	10.8
1996	435	27.5	15.8	10.8
1997	383	23.3	16.4	11.2
1998	405	27.6	14.7	9.9
1999	401	25.6	15.7	16.2
2000	380	26.5	14.3	15.8
2001	404	26.4	15.3	18.1
2002	362	24.5	14.8	18
2003	362	24.5	14.8	18
2004	382	23.1	16.5	20.4
2005	373	23.7	15.7	23.3
2006	372	23.6	15.8	22.3
2007	352	24.6	14.3	16.2
2008	365	23.8	15.3	18.6
2009	336	24.9	13.5	21.1
2010	334	23.9	13.9	23.1
2011	326	22.0	14.8	24.5
2012	316	21.7	14.5	26.3
2013	308	21.7	14.1	23.4
2014	298	21.7	13.7	26.2
2015	321	23.0	13.9	29
2016	354	23.0	15.3	33.3
2017	341	22.8	14.8	38.4
2018	345	22.6	15.2	36.5
2019	345	23.2	14.8	39.1
2020	344	23.6	14.5	34.6
2021	368	23.5	15.6	34.5
2022	352	25.1	14.0	35.8
2023	342	25.3	13.5	39.2
2024	345	27.3	12.6	38.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Sheldon High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	387	26.8	14.4	11.9
1989	367	27.1	13.5	10.9
1990	358	27.1	13.2	11.7
1991	366	27.5	13.3	13.4
1992	373	28.0	13.3	8.8
1993	395	26.5	14.9	8.6
1994	395	26.5	14.9	10.6
1995	435	27.5	15.8	10.8
1996	435	27.5	15.8	10.8
1997	383	23.3	16.4	11.2
1998	405	27.6	14.7	9.9
1999	401	25.6	15.7	16.2
2000	380	26.5	14.3	15.8
2001	404	26.4	15.3	18.1
2002	362	24.5	14.8	18
2003	362	24.5	14.8	18
2004	382	23.1	16.5	20.4
2005	373	23.7	15.7	23.3
2006	372	23.6	15.8	22.3
2007	352	24.6	14.3	16.2
2008	365	23.8	15.3	18.6
2009	336	24.9	13.5	21.1
2010	334	23.9	13.9	23.1
2011	326	22.0	14.8	24.5
2012	316	21.7	14.5	26.3
2013	308	21.7	14.1	23.4
2014	298	21.7	13.7	26.2
2015	321	23.0	13.9	29
2016	354	23.0	15.3	33.3
2017	341	22.8	14.8	38.4
2018	345	22.6	15.2	36.5
2019	345	23.2	14.8	39.1
2020	344	23.6	14.5	34.6
2021	368	23.5	15.6	34.5
2022	352	25.1	14.0	35.8
2023	342	25.3	13.5	39.2
2024	345	27.3	12.6	38.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sheldon High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$199 (1.2%)	$16,390 (98.8%)	$16,589

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sheldon High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 129^th of 327 High schools	Ranks 122^nd of 336 High schools	3.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Sheldon High School)	85.9	73.8	12.1%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Sheldon Community School District)	85.9	73.8	12.1%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	74.3	72.9	1.4%
10th Grade Mathematics (Sheldon High School)	71.8	70.2	1.6%
10th Grade Mathematics (Sheldon Community School District)	71.8	70.2	1.6%
10th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	67.1	67	0.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Sheldon High School)	73	79.5	6.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Sheldon Community School District)	73	79.5	6.5%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	71.4	68.7	2.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Sheldon High School)	60.3	75.6	15.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (Sheldon Community School District)	60.3	75.6	15.3%
11th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	66.9	67.3	0.4%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	345	342	0.9%
African American	4	4
American Indian	5	1	80%
Asian	10	5	50%
Hispanic	60	80	33.3%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	262	251	4.2%
Two or More Races	3	1	66.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	39.1%	39.2%	0.1%

Schools Near Sheldon High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				ISASP English Language Arts (2024)					ISASP Mathematics (2024)					ISASP Science (2024)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	ISASP English Language Arts 7th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 8th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 9th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 10th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 11th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sheldon High School	Public	9-12	1700 East Fourth Street	Sheldon	51201	O'Brien County	Sheldon Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 324-2501	345	27	12.6	38.6%	226 (65.5%)	7 (2.0%)	104 (30.1%)	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	68.5	99^th of 338 public high schools	70.7%		62.6	122^nd of 336 public high schools	63.7%	23			74.7	88.1	84.4			62.1	79.1	79.2		80.6	$16,589	$199	$16,390
George-Little Rock Senior High School	Public	9-12	500 E Indiana Ave	George	51237	Lyon County	George-Little Rock Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 475-3311	124	12	10.3	37.9%	99 (79.8%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (7.3%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (8.9%)	4 (3.2%)	50.3	191^st of 338 public high schools	43.5%		42.8	222^nd of 336 public high schools	33.9%	31			81.8	81.0	66.7			66.7	66.7	50.0		65.0	$17,030	$154	$16,876
Boyden-Hull High School	Public	7-12	801 1st St	Hull	51239	Sioux County	Boyden-Hull Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 439-2440	272	18	14.7	39.0%	185 (68.0%)	1 (0.4%)	82 (30.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.5%)	73.2	72^nd of 338 public high schools	78.7%		77.5	45^th of 336 public high schools	86.6%	27	82.9	85.3	86.4	82.9	80.4	75.6	79.4	72.7	82.9	73.9	67.6	70.7	$14,033	$166	$13,867
South O'Brien Secondary School	Public	7-12	307 W Groesbeck	Paullina	51046	O'Brien County	South O'Brien Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 949-3454	242	21	11.3	30.6%	219 (90.5%)	1 (0.4%)	15 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.9%)	69.4	96^th of 338 public high schools	71.6%		75.7	52^nd of 336 public high schools	84.5%	44	88.6	100.0	65.7	95.5	95.2	80.0	100.0	57.1	75.0	85.7	88.6	70.5	$15,447	$108	$15,339
Sibley-Ocheyedan High School	Public	9-12	120 11th Ave NE	Sibley	51249	Osceola County	Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 754-3601	208	17	12.2	44.7%	153 (73.6%)	1 (0.5%)	43 (20.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	5 (2.4%)	66.3	111^th of 338 public high schools	67.2%		41	227^th of 336 public high schools	32.4%	116			90.9	73.6	77.8			72.7	71.7	71.1		73.6	$14,480	$149	$14,331
MOC-Floyd Valley High School	Public	9-12	615 8th St SE	Orange City	51041	Sioux County	MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 737-4871	496	34	14.3	23.6%	361 (72.8%)	10 (2.0%)	108 (21.8%)	6 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	9 (1.8%)	77.8	44^th of 338 public high schools	87.0%		85.9	19^th of 336 public high schools	94.3%	25			84.9	87.5	82.9			69.7	84.4	86.7		71.9	$15,439	$397	$15,042
Sioux Center High School	Public	9-12	1031 13th Ave NE	Sioux Center	51250	Sioux County	Sioux Center Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 722-2981	502	31	16.0	44.2%	262 (52.2%)	9 (1.8%)	223 (44.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.4%)	69.6	95^th of 338 public high schools	71.9%		70.7	80^th of 336 public high schools	76.2%	15			78.6	85.8	72.6			70.9	83.2	70.8		81.3	$14,733	$198	$14,535
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School	Public	9-12	300 N 8th Ave W	Hartley	51346	O'Brien County	Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 928-3406	208	19	10.9	52.4%	164 (78.8%)	2 (1.0%)	35 (16.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	54.2	174^th of 338 public high schools	48.5%		80.9	34^th of 336 public high schools	89.9%	140			70.0	83.7	82.9			56.7	74.4	65.9		69.0	$33,752	$177	$33,576

Frequently Asked Questions about Sheldon High School

What schools feed into Sheldon High School?

Sheldon High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : East Elementary School
Middle : Sheldon Middle School

How many students attend Sheldon High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 345 students attended Sheldon High School.

What district is Sheldon High School in?

Sheldon Community School District

Is Sheldon High School a good school?

Sheldon High School ranks 99^th of 338 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Sheldon High School?

Students at Sheldon High School are 66% White, 30% Hispanic, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Iowa Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.