Harlan High School

Q: Is Harlan High School a good school?

Harlan High School ranks 98 th of 338 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Harlan High School is a public high school located in Harlan, Iowa, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 477. The school is part of the Harlan Community School District, which is ranked 105 out of 309 districts in Iowa and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Harlan 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, 86% of 10th graders were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to the state average of 73.8%. In Mathematics, 81% of 11th graders were proficient or better, compared to the state average of 65.7%. The school has a strong statewide ranking, consistently placing in the top 20% of Iowa high schools, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in the 2023-2024 school year.

When compared to the nearby schools, such as Woodbine High School, Boyer Valley Middle/High School, and Tri-Center High School, Harlan High School outperforms them in ISASP test scores and has a higher statewide ranking. The school also has a lower percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 31.03% in the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the nearby schools, which range from 30% to 51.53%.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2102 Durant
Harlan, IA 51537

(712) 755-3101

District: Harlan Community School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
98^th of 338 Iowa High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $15,572

Feeder schools for Harlan High School:

Elementary:	Harlan Intermediate School
	Harlan Primary
Middle:	Harlan Community Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.1

Number of students: 477

Racial breakdown:

White:

88.3%

Hispanic:

8.8%

Two or more races:

1.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 27%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Harlan High School ranks better than 71% of high schools in Iowa. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 68.81. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Harlan 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 (88.3%), Hispanic (8.8%), two or more races (1.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 27% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Harlan High School is 13.1. (See more...)

Compare Harlan High School employs 36.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Harlan High School is $15,572.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

SchoolDigger ranks Harlan High School 98^th of 338 Iowa public high schools. (See Harlan High School in the ranking list.)

Harlan Community School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Harlan Community School District 105^th of 309 Iowa school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Harlan High School?

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Rank History for Harlan High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	IA State Percentile
2012	82.22	17^th	351	95.2%
2013	77.07	46^th	351	86.9%
2014	84.40	24^th	322	92.5%
2015	87.65	6^th	324	98.1%
2016	82.75	38^th	320	88.1%
2017	80.70	34^th	325	89.5%
2018	78.19	39^th	320	87.8%
2019	86.72	16^th	327	95.1%
2021	78.13	45^th	327	86.2%
2022	82.74	32^nd	332	90.4%
2023	73.82	63^rd	336	81.3%
2024	68.81	98^th	338	71.0%

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 Harlan High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	602	0	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	609
1989	586	0	4	5	1	n/a	n/a	596
1990	558	0	3	6	1	n/a	n/a	568
1991	580	0	5	6	1	n/a	n/a	592
1992	543	0	3	0	0	n/a	n/a	546
1993	560	0	4	1	0	n/a	n/a	565
1994	556	0	5	0	0	n/a	n/a	561
1995	580	0	5	1	5	n/a	n/a	591
1996	580	0	5	1	5	n/a	n/a	591
1997	594	0	2	3	0	n/a	n/a	599
1998	609	2	1	0	0	n/a	n/a	612
1999	645	0	4	2	0	n/a	n/a	651
2000	647	0	6	4	0	n/a	n/a	657
2001	636	0	1	3	2	n/a	n/a	642
2002	594	1	2	8	1	n/a	n/a	606
2003	594	1	2	8	1	n/a	n/a	606
2004	560	3	2	9	2	n/a	n/a	576
2005	564	5	4	8	2	n/a	n/a	583
2006	595	7	2	7	2	n/a	n/a	613
2007	593	6	2	10	3	n/a	n/a	614
2008	579	6	2	9	3	n/a	n/a	599
2009	578	7	2	9	1	n/a	n/a	597
2010	524	7	2	12	2	0	0	547
2011	515	9	2	11	2	0	0	539
2012	477	6	4	9	2	0	1	499
2013	491	5	3	11	4	0	0	514
2014	490	6	4	9	4	0	0	513
2015	488	6	4	13	4	0	0	515
2016	491	8	2	20	4	0	0	525
2017	469	13	2	19	3	0	0	506
2018	478	12	4	17	2	0	1	514
2019	473	8	4	17	3	0	2	507
2020	460	4	2	20	1	2	3	492
2021	455	3	1	22	2	2	5	490
2022	449	2	2	25	1	2	2	483
2023	429	1	0	37	1	1	8	477
2024	421	4	1	42	1	0	8	477

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 Harlan High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	609	41.0	14.8	11.5
1989	596	4.1	145.3	5.2
1990	568	39.9	14.2	10.4
1991	592	39.0	15.1	13
1992	546	39.0	14.0	12.6
1993	565	35.0	16.1	10.3
1994	561	34.9	16.1	11.1
1995	591	38.0	15.6	14.4
1996	591	38.0	15.6	14.4
1997	599	36.8	16.3	11.5
1998	612	34.5	17.7	12.6
1999	651	33.9	19.2	20.6
2000	657	35.6	18.5	18.4
2001	642	36.9	17.4	22
2002	606	35.0	17.3	22.9
2003	606	35.0	17.3	22.9
2004	576	36.2	15.9	24.1
2005	583	35.4	16.5	25
2006	613	32.3	19.0	27.1
2007	614	37.1	16.5	22.1
2008	599	39.0	15.4	22.5
2009	597	44.6	13.4	25.1
2010	547	44.8	12.2	17.2
2011	539	34.4	15.6	19.9
2012	499	34.1	14.6	20.6
2013	514	33.9	15.1	23.5
2014	513	35.4	14.4	21.6
2015	515	36.0	14.3	21.2
2016	525	36.0	14.5	22.9
2017	506	36.8	13.7	22.3
2018	514	34.7	14.7	24.1
2019	507	33.5	15.1	34.1
2020	492	34.7	14.1	27.8
2021	490	35.8	13.6	31.4
2022	483	34.2	14.1	34.2
2023	477	36.2	13.1	31
2024	477	36.1	13.1	27

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 Harlan High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	609	41.0	14.8	11.5
1989	596	4.1	145.3	5.2
1990	568	39.9	14.2	10.4
1991	592	39.0	15.1	13
1992	546	39.0	14.0	12.6
1993	565	35.0	16.1	10.3
1994	561	34.9	16.1	11.1
1995	591	38.0	15.6	14.4
1996	591	38.0	15.6	14.4
1997	599	36.8	16.3	11.5
1998	612	34.5	17.7	12.6
1999	651	33.9	19.2	20.6
2000	657	35.6	18.5	18.4
2001	642	36.9	17.4	22
2002	606	35.0	17.3	22.9
2003	606	35.0	17.3	22.9
2004	576	36.2	15.9	24.1
2005	583	35.4	16.5	25
2006	613	32.3	19.0	27.1
2007	614	37.1	16.5	22.1
2008	599	39.0	15.4	22.5
2009	597	44.6	13.4	25.1
2010	547	44.8	12.2	17.2
2011	539	34.4	15.6	19.9
2012	499	34.1	14.6	20.6
2013	514	33.9	15.1	23.5
2014	513	35.4	14.4	21.6
2015	515	36.0	14.3	21.2
2016	525	36.0	14.5	22.9
2017	506	36.8	13.7	22.3
2018	514	34.7	14.7	24.1
2019	507	33.5	15.1	34.1
2020	492	34.7	14.1	27.8
2021	490	35.8	13.6	31.4
2022	483	34.2	14.1	34.2
2023	477	36.2	13.1	31
2024	477	36.1	13.1	27

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 Harlan High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$187 (1.2%)	$15,385 (98.8%)	$15,572

Data source: Iowa Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Harlan 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 16^th of 327 High schools	Ranks 63^rd of 336 High schools	13.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
10th Grade English Language Arts (Harlan High School)	86.9	81.5	5.4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Harlan Community School District)	86.9	81.5	5.4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	74.3	72.9	1.4%
10th Grade Mathematics (Harlan High School)	80.3	77.3	3%
10th Grade Mathematics (Harlan Community School District)	80.3	77.3	3%
10th Grade Mathematics (Iowa)	67.1	67	0.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Harlan High School)	89.3	78.2	11.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Harlan Community School District)	89.3	78.2	11.1%
11th Grade English Language Arts (Iowa)	71.4	68.7	2.7%
11th Grade Mathematics (Harlan High School)	85.7	87.3	1.6%
11th Grade Mathematics (Harlan Community School District)	85.7	87.3	1.6%
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	507	477	5.9%
African American	8	1	87.5%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	4	0	100%
Hispanic	17	37	117.6%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	473	429	9.3%
Two or More Races	2	8	300%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	34.1%	31%	3.1%

Schools Near Harlan 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 5th Grade	ISASP English Language Arts 6th Grade	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 5th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 6th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 7th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 8th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 9th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 10th Grade	ISASP Mathematics 11th Grade	ISASP Science 5th Grade	ISASP Science 8th Grade	ISASP Science 10th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harlan High School	Public	9-12	2102 Durant	Harlan	51537	Shelby County	Harlan Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 755-3101	477	36	13.1	27.0%	421 (88.3%)	4 (0.8%)	42 (8.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.7%)	68.8	98^th of 338 public high schools	71.0%		73.8	63^rd of 336 public high schools	81.3%	35					82.4	86.0	75.9					68.9	76.3	81.0			66.4	$15,572	$187	$15,385
AHSTW High School	Public	9-12	768 S Maple	Avoca	51521	Pottawattamie County	AHSTW Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 343-6364	210	19	11.0	31.9%	195 (92.9%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	77.2	45^th of 338 public high schools	86.7%		79	39^th of 336 public high schools	88.4%	6					84.4	84.6	84.9					73.3	82.7	77.4			75.0	$16,444	$184	$16,260
ExiraElk Horn-Kimballton High School	Public	6-12	4114 Madison St	Elk Horn	51531	Shelby County	Exira-Elk Horn- Kimballton Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 764-4616	188	19	9.8	53.7%	180 (95.7%)	1 (0.5%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.6%)	66.8	107^th of 338 public high schools	68.3%		50.7	184^th of 336 public high schools	45.2%	77		76.0	50.0	75.0	96.2	92.0	79.3		76.0	60.7	73.9	65.4	76.0	65.5		66.7	60.0	$15,108	$422	$14,686
Tri-Center High School	Public	9-12	33980 310th St	Neola	51559	Pottawattamie County	Tri-Center Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 485-2211	226	15	14.6	30.1%	207 (91.6%)	2 (0.9%)	12 (5.3%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.3%)	56.7	164^th of 338 public high schools	51.5%		58.2	151^st of 336 public high schools	55.1%	13					75.0	76.6	70.9					75.0	70.3	69.1			65.6	$14,772	$296	$14,476
Boyer Valley Middle/High School	Public	6-12	1102 Iowa Ave	Dunlap	51529	Harrison County	Boyer Valley Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 643-2258	223	16	14.2	43.9%	199 (89.2%)	2 (0.9%)	15 (6.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (3.1%)	59.7	148^th of 338 public high schools	56.2%		62.5	124^th of 336 public high schools	63.1%	24		80.8	81.8	89.7	72.2	87.1	73.3		88.5	72.7	93.1	58.3	77.4	73.3		82.8	74.2	$14,318	$543	$13,775
Woodbine High School	Public	5-12	501 Weare St	Woodbine	51579	Harrison County	Woodbine Community School District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(712) 647-2227	301	19	16.2	35.9%	285 (94.7%)	2 (0.7%)	10 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	37.6	247^th of 338 public high schools	26.9%		52.3	178^th of 336 public high schools	47.0%	69	62.1	71.0	82.4	73.0	73.8	71.4	63.9	69.0	54.8	76.5	73.0	54.8	61.0	70.3	58.6	50.0	55.0	$15,588	$209	$15,379

Frequently Asked Questions about Harlan High School

What is the racial makeup of Harlan High School?

Students at Harlan High School are 88% White, 9% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Harlan High School?

Harlan High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Harlan Intermediate School
Elementary : Harlan Primary
Middle : Harlan Community Middle School

Is Harlan High School a good school?

Harlan High School ranks 98^th of 338 Iowa high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Harlan High School in?

Harlan Community School District

How many students attend Harlan High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 477 students attended Harlan High School.

Rate Harlan High School!

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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.