Darlington Community 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.

Darlington, Wisconsin - 2 schools

An equity score of 45/100 ranks Darlington Community School District #233 of 403 districts in Wisconsin (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,704 per pupil, Darlington Community School District ranks #259 of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending (Wisconsin districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

900
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$13,704
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Darlington Community School District operates 2 public schools serving 900 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Wisconsin. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high 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 Lafayette County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,704 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 31.7% local, 55.7% state, and 12.6% 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 45/100, ranked #233 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 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 449.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 5.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 65.3% White, 34.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Asian across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Darlington Elementary/Middle, enrolling 636 students (71% of the district's total enrollment).

Darlington Elementary/Middle accounts for 70.7% of all Darlington Community School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Darlington Community School District a distant remainder — means Darlington Community 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

Darlington Community School District student-counselor ratio is 450:1 — 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

Darlington Community School District chronic absenteeism rate is 5.5% — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

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

Where does the funding come from?

12.6%
Federal
55.7%
State
31.7%
Local

Funding Equity

45
Equity Score
233 / 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 2 schools in Darlington Community School District.

White 65.3%
Hispanic or Latino 34.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 2
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
449.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
5.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Darlington Community School District

School Enrollment
Darlington Elementary/Middle
636
Darlington High
263

How Darlington Community School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Wisconsin districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Union Grove J1 School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Cedar Grove-Belgium Area School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Belleville School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Cambridge School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Marshall School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Darlington Community 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.

Compare Darlington Community 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 Darlington Community School District?

Darlington Community School District has 2 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high. Total enrollment is 900 students.

How much does Darlington Community School District spend per student?

Darlington Community School District spends $13,704 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #233 in Wisconsin.

What is the demographic composition of Darlington Community School District?

Darlington Community School District students are 65.3% White, 34.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Darlington Community School District?

Darlington Community School District has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #233 out of 403 districts in Wisconsin.