Waukesha School District

Public school district · Waukesha County · Wisconsin · NCES district ID 5515780

Waukesha School District spent $12,969 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 76% of the other Wisconsin districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,856). Its 27 schools enrolled 10,922 students in 2024-25; 39.2% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,495 per student, up 11.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 91% (Wisconsin: 90.5%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Wisconsin's largest districts

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Waukesha ranks 10.

Current spending per student, largest Wisconsin districts, FY23Milwaukee Public Schools $18,815; Madison Metropolitan $17,411; Racine Unified $16,095; Green Bay Area $15,394; Kenosha Unified $14,636; Eau Claire Area $14,336; Janesville $13,990; Sheboygan Area $13,962; Appleton Area $13,085; Waukesha $12,969; State median, 1,000+ students $13,856.10k12.5k15k17.5k20kMilwaukee Public Schools$18,815Madison Metropolitan$17,411Racine Unified$16,095Green Bay Area$15,394Kenosha Unified$14,636Eau Claire Area$14,336Janesville$13,990Sheboygan Area$13,962Appleton Area$13,085Waukesha$12,969State median, 1,000+ students $13,856
Current spending per student, largest Wisconsin districts, FY23Milwaukee Public Schools $18,815; Madison Metropolitan $17,411; Racine Unified $16,095; Green Bay Area $15,394; Kenosha Unified $14,636; Eau Claire Area $14,336; Janesville $13,990; Sheboygan Area $13,962; Appleton Area $13,085; Waukesha $12,969; State median, 1,000+ students $13,856.10k12.5k15k17.5k20kMilwaukee Public Schools$18,815Madison Metropolitan$17,411Racine Unified$16,095Green Bay Area$15,394Kenosha Unified$14,636Eau Claire Area$14,336Janesville$13,990Sheboygan Area$13,962Appleton Area$13,085Waukesha$12,969State median, 1,000+ students $13,856
Current spending per student, largest Wisconsin districts, FY23Milwaukee Public Schools $18,815; Madison Metropolitan $17,411; Racine Unified $16,095; Green Bay Area $15,394; Kenosha Unified $14,636; Eau Claire Area $14,336; Janesville $13,990; Sheboygan Area $13,962; Appleton Area $13,085; Waukesha $12,969; State median, 1,000+ students $13,856.10k15k20kMilwaukee Public Schools$18,815Madison Metropolitan$17,411Racine Unified$16,095Green Bay Area$15,394Kenosha Unified$14,636Eau Claire Area$14,336Janesville$13,990Sheboygan Area$13,962Appleton Area$13,085Waukesha$12,969State median, 1,000+ students $13,856
Current spending per student, largest Wisconsin districts, FY23Milwaukee Public Schools $18,815; Madison Metropolitan $17,411; Racine Unified $16,095; Green Bay Area $15,394; Kenosha Unified $14,636; Eau Claire Area $14,336; Janesville $13,990; Sheboygan Area $13,962; Appleton Area $13,085; Waukesha $12,969; State median, 1,000+ students $13,856.10k15k20kMilwaukee Public Schools$18,815Madison Metropolitan$17,411Racine Unified$16,095Green Bay Area$15,394Kenosha Unified$14,636Eau Claire Area$14,336Janesville$13,990Sheboygan Area$13,962Appleton Area$13,085Waukesha$12,969State median, 1,000+ students $13,856

Where the money came from

$199,348,000 in revenue: 39.2% state, 50.3% local and 10.5% federal. Total spending including $6,739,000 of capital outlay was $180,966,000, or $15,265 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Waukesha School District revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $78,117,000; Local $100,285,000; Federal $20,946,000; total $199,348,000.
  • State$78,117,000 39%
  • Local$100,285,000 50%
  • Federal$20,946,000 11%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 190 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

11,855 students in 2022-23, 11,318 students in 2023-24, 10,922 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Waukesha School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 11,855, 2023-24: 11,318, 2024-25: 10,92205k10k15k2022-2311,8552023-2411,3182024-2510,922
Waukesha School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 11,855, 2023-24: 11,318, 2024-25: 10,92205k10k15k2022-2311,8552023-2411,3182024-2510,922
Waukesha School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 11,855, 2023-24: 11,318, 2024-25: 10,92205k10k15k2022-2311,8552023-2411,3182024-2510,922
Waukesha School District enrollment by school year2022-23: 11,855, 2023-24: 11,318, 2024-25: 10,92205k10k15k2022-2311,8552023-2411,3182024-2510,922

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2311,855790.915.0
2023-2411,318791.414.3
2024-2510,922779.814.0

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$63,590,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,364 per student

Waukesha School District booked $63,590,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 796 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $79,936 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 89 in 100 Wisconsin districts with a figure (state median $69,818, 412 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Wisconsin teacher salary at $60,453 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$43,776,00068.8%
Special education$15,313,00024.1%
Vocational$2,955,0004.6%
Other programs$1,546,0002.4%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,898 in 2018-19, $4,870 in 2019-20, $5,089 in 2020-21, $5,129 in 2021-22, $5,364 in 2022-23.

Waukesha School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,898, 2019-20: $4,870, 2020-21: $5,089, 2021-22: $5,129, 2022-23: $5,36402k4k6k2018-19$4,8982019-20$4,8702020-21$5,0892021-22$5,1292022-23$5,364
Waukesha School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,898, 2019-20: $4,870, 2020-21: $5,089, 2021-22: $5,129, 2022-23: $5,36402k4k6k2018-19$4,8982019-20$4,8702020-21$5,0892021-22$5,1292022-23$5,364
Waukesha School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,898, 2019-20: $4,870, 2020-21: $5,089, 2021-22: $5,129, 2022-23: $5,36402k4k6k2018-19$4,8982019-20$4,8702020-21$5,0892021-22$5,1292022-23$5,364
Waukesha School District teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $4,898, 2019-20: $4,870, 2020-21: $5,089, 2021-22: $5,129, 2022-23: $5,36402k4k6k2018-19$4,8982019-20$4,8702020-21$5,0892021-22$5,1292022-23$5,364

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Waukesha School District scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 42% in math, against 38% in reading and 40% in math across Wisconsin. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Wisconsin, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtWisconsinStudents tested
Reading and language arts39%38%4,603
Math42%40%4,599

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

91% of the 1,117 students in Waukesha School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.5% across Wisconsin. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtWisconsin
Four-year graduation rate91%90.5%
Students in the class1,11765,638

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

14 elementary schools, 4,967 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Waukesha STEM Academy58013.721.6%Not Title I
Rose Glen Elementary49016.310.6%Not Title I
Banting Elementary48611.543.6%Schoolwide program
Summit View Elementary44914.327.2%Not Title I
Bethesda Elementary40113.233.2%Schoolwide program
Prairie Elementary34813.325.9%Not Title I
Lowell Elementary34711.150.7%Schoolwide program
Hadfield Elementary3389.168.0%Schoolwide program
Heyer Elementary32810.847.3%Schoolwide program
Hawthorne Elementary3219.756.4%Schoolwide program
White Rock School286not reported9.8%Not Title I
Meadowbrook Elementary24312.514.8%Not Title I
The other 2 elementary schools
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Hillcrest Elementary23912.323.8%Not Title I
eAchieve Elementary11118.439.6%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

3 middle schools, 1,867 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Butler Middle78614.236.3%Eligible, no program
Les Paul Middle54712.332.4%Not Title I
Horning Middle53411.247.9%Eligible, no program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

9 high schools, 3,921 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
West High1,16717.419.3%Not Title I
North High91115.638.2%Eligible, no program
South High83311.649.2%Eligible, no program
eAchieve Academy - Wisconsin63923.532.1%Not Title I
Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy14448.018.8%Not Title I
Waukesha Academy of Health Professions112not reported27.7%Not Title I
Waukesha East Alternative School748.277.0%Eligible, no program
Waukesha Transition Academy366.030.6%Not Title I
Riverview School55.0not reportedNot Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 other school, 167 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
White Rock Campus16722.330.5%Not Title I

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Waukesha School District

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Waukesha School District

  1. Wisconsin districts by spending per studentWaukesha School District ranks 145 of 190 Wisconsin districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,969).#145 of 190
  2. Every school district in WisconsinWaukesha School District is the number 7 by size of 451 Wisconsin districts, with 11,855 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#7 of 451
  3. Appleton Area School DistrictThe next larger Wisconsin district: 15,270 students in fall 2022, $13,085 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,085
  4. Eau Claire Area School DistrictThe next smaller Wisconsin district: 10,871 students in fall 2022, $14,336 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,336
  5. Compare Waukesha School District with Appleton Area School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. West High, its largest high school1,167 students in 2024-25, 17.4 per teacher.1,167
  7. Teacher salary spending across WisconsinWaukesha School District spent $79,936 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $69,818); spending, not a salary.$79,936
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Waukesha School District

  1. How many schools and students are in Waukesha School District?
    27 schools were open in 2024-25 (14 elementary, 3 middle, 9 high, 1 other), enrolling 10,922 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Waukesha School District spend per student?
    $12,969 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Wisconsin median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,856 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,495 per student, up 11.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Waukesha School District's money come from?
    $199,348,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 39.2% state, 50.3% local and 10.5% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Waukesha School District live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 944 of the 13,228 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 7.1%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Waukesha School District spend on teacher salaries?
    $63,590,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,364 per student. Divided by the 796 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $79,936 per teacher, more than 89 in 100 Wisconsin districts (state median $69,818). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Wisconsin teacher salary at $60,453 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Waukesha School District do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Waukesha School District scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 42% in math, against 38% in reading and 40% in math across Wisconsin. Wisconsin's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Waukesha School District?
    91% of the 1,117 students in Waukesha School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.5% across Wisconsin. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Waukesha School District's NCES district ID?
    5515780. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .