Baraboo School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Baraboo, Wisconsin - 9 schools

An equity score of 49/100 ranks Baraboo School District #210 of 403 districts in Wisconsin (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,486 per pupil, Baraboo School District ranks #284 of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending (Wisconsin districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,701
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$13,486
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Baraboo School District operates 9 public schools serving 2,701 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Wisconsin. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 3 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly 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 Sauk County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,486 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 43.3% local, 46.4% state, and 10.3% 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 49/100, ranked #210 of 403 in Wisconsin against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (24 AP courses district-wide), a 360.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 36.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 71.3% White, 18.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Belc--Renewal Head Start, with a diversity index of 55.1/100.

Its largest campus is Baraboo High, enrolling 885 students (34% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Belc--Renewal Head Start, at 15 students, a 59x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Baraboo High accounts for 32.8% of all Baraboo School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Baraboo School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Baraboo School District school enrollment varies 59× across entities

Baraboo School District school enrollment ranges from 15 students (lowest) to 885 students (highest), a spread of 870 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Baraboo School District student-counselor ratio is 361:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Baraboo School District chronic absenteeism rate is 36.7% — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

10.3%
Federal
46.4%
State
43.3%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
210 / 403
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Baraboo School District.

White 71.3%
Hispanic or Latino 18.2%
African American 1.4%
Asian 0.9%
Multiracial 5.2%
Other 3.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 41.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Baraboo School District's schools, above the Wisconsin average of 35.7.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Belc--Renewal Head Start 55.1
  2. 2 West Elementary-Kindergarten Center 52.1
  3. 3 Al Behrman Elementary 43.7
  4. 4 Jack Young Middle 42.6
  5. 5 Baraboo Early Learning Cooperative 41.5

Programs & Resources

1 / 9
Schools with AP
24 AP courses total
360.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
36.7%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Baraboo School District

School Enrollment
Baraboo High
885
Jack Young Middle
548
East Elementary
334
Willson Elementary
284
Al Behrman Elementary
278
Baraboo Early Learning Cooperative
116
North Freedom Elementary
103
West Elementary-Kindergarten Center
35
Belc--Renewal Head Start
15

How Baraboo School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Wisconsin districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Sauk Prairie School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Greendale School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Reedsburg School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Stoughton Area School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
South Milwaukee School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Baraboo 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.

Milwaukee School District
67,500 students · 156 schools · $17,847/pupil
Compare vs Baraboo School District →
Madison Metropolitan School District
25,237 students · 54 schools · $17,181/pupil
Compare vs Baraboo School District →
Kenosha School District
19,069 students · 43 schools · $14,309/pupil
Compare vs Baraboo School District →
Green Bay Area Public School District
18,922 students · 44 schools · $16,179/pupil
Compare vs Baraboo School District →
Racine Unified School District
16,182 students · 26 schools · $15,577/pupil
Compare vs Baraboo School District →

Compare Baraboo School District

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Milwaukee School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Baraboo School District?

Baraboo School District has 9 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 4 combined, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 2,701 students.

How much does Baraboo School District spend per student?

Baraboo School District spends $13,486 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #210 in Wisconsin.

What is the demographic composition of Baraboo School District?

Baraboo School District students are 71.3% White, 18.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Baraboo School District?

Baraboo School District has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #210 out of 403 districts in Wisconsin.