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Appleton, Wisconsin - 37 schools
An equity score of 40/100 ranks Appleton Area School District #261 of 403 districts in Wisconsin (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $13,545 per pupil, Appleton Area School District ranks #276 of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending (Wisconsin districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
15,270
Total Enrollment
37
Schools
$13,545
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Appleton Area School District operates 37 public schools serving 15,270 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Wisconsin. The school portfolio breaks down into 22 combined, 7 high, 4 middle, 4 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Outagamie County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,545 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending. See how Wisconsin compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 39.7% local, 48.8% state, and 11.4% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 40/100, ranked #261 of 403 in Wisconsin against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 9 of 37 schools offering Advanced Placement (160 AP courses district-wide), a 395.5:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 33.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 62.4% White, 13.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Badger Elementary, with a diversity index of 74.5/100.
Its largest campus is North High, enrolling 1,635 students (11% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Appleview, at 29 students, a 56x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Appleton Area School District school enrollment varies 56× across entities
Appleton Area School District school enrollment ranges from 29 students (lowest) to 1,635 students (highest), a spread of 1,606 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Appleton Area School District student-counselor ratio is 396:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Appleton Area School District chronic absenteeism rate is 33.6% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Comparisons are relative to Appleton Area School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Nearby Districts in Wisconsin
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
How many schools are in Appleton Area School District?
Appleton Area School District has 37 schools, including 7 high, 4 middle, 22 combined, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 15,270 students.
How much does Appleton Area School District spend per student?
Appleton Area School District spends $13,545 per student. The district has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #261 in Wisconsin.
What is the demographic composition of Appleton Area School District?
Appleton Area School District students are 62.4% White, 13.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 4.9% African American, averaged across 37 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Appleton Area School District?
Appleton Area School District has an equity score of 40/100, ranking #261 out of 403 districts in Wisconsin.