Barron Area 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.

Barron, Wisconsin - 6 schools

An equity score of 79/100 ranks Barron Area School District #32 of 403 districts in Wisconsin (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $16,315 per pupil, Barron Area School District ranks #86 of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending (Wisconsin districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,119
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$16,315
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Barron Area School District operates 6 public schools serving 1,119 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Wisconsin. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Barron County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,315 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending. See how Wisconsin compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.4% local, 55.1% state, and 9.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 79/100, ranked #32 of 403 in Wisconsin against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (2 AP courses district-wide), a 453.4:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 20.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 74.3% White, 9.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Woodland Elementary, with a diversity index of 59.7/100.

Its largest campus is Woodland Elementary, enrolling 324 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Advanced Learning Academy of Wisconsin, at 35 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Woodland Elementary accounts for 29.0% of all Barron Area School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Barron Area School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Barron Area School District school enrollment varies 9.3× across entities

Barron Area School District school enrollment ranges from 35 students (lowest) to 324 students (highest), a spread of 289 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Barron Area School District student-counselor ratio is 453:1 — 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

Barron Area School District chronic absenteeism rate is 20.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

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 Variation between sub-units within Barron Area School District is typically wider than the Barron Area School District-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

9.5%
Federal
55.1%
State
35.4%
Local

Funding Equity

79
Equity Score
32 / 403
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 6 schools in Barron Area School District.

White 74.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
African American 8.1%
Asian 1.4%
Multiracial 5.1%
Other 1.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 41.2/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Woodland Elementary 59.7
  2. 2 Riverview Middle 50.0
  3. 3 Barron High 42.7
  4. 4 Ridgeland-Dallas Elementary 28.8
  5. 5 Barron Area Montessori School 24.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
2 AP courses total
453.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
20.9%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Barron Area School District

School Enrollment
Woodland Elementary
324
Barron High
310
Riverview Middle
282
Ridgeland-Dallas Elementary
68
Barron Area Montessori School
Charter
59
Advanced Learning Academy of Wisconsin
Charter
35

How Barron Area School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Wisconsin districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Northern Ozaukee School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
River Valley School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Omro School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Chilton School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Hartland-Lakeside J3 School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Barron 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.

Milwaukee School District
67,500 students · 156 schools · $17,847/pupil
Compare vs Barron Area School District →
Kenosha School District
19,069 students · 43 schools · $14,309/pupil
Compare vs Barron Area School District →
Racine Unified School District
16,182 students · 26 schools · $15,577/pupil
Compare vs Barron Area School District →

Compare Barron Area 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 Barron Area School District?

Barron Area School District has 6 schools, including 4 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,119 students.

How much does Barron Area School District spend per student?

Barron Area School District spends $16,315 per student. The district has an equity score of 79/100, ranking #32 in Wisconsin.

What is the demographic composition of Barron Area School District?

Barron Area School District students are 74.3% White, 9.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% African American, 1.4% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Barron Area School District?

Barron Area School District has an equity score of 79/100, ranking #32 out of 403 districts in Wisconsin.