Manitowoc 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.

Manitowoc, Wisconsin - 11 schools

An equity score of 76/100 ranks Manitowoc School District #44 of 403 districts in Wisconsin (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,717 per pupil, Manitowoc School District ranks #172 of 422 Wisconsin districts by per-pupil spending (Wisconsin districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,726
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$14,717
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Manitowoc School District operates 11 public schools serving 4,726 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Wisconsin. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 2 middle, 2 combined, 1 high 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 Manitowoc County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,717 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 29.0% local, 56.6% state, and 14.5% 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 76/100, ranked #44 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 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 258:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 38.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 58.3% White, 19.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Jefferson Elementary, with a diversity index of 71.3/100.

Its largest campus is Lincoln High, enrolling 1,385 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Mckinley Academy, at 59 students, a 23x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Lincoln High accounts for 29.3% of all Manitowoc School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Manitowoc 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

Manitowoc School District school enrollment varies 23× across entities

Manitowoc School District school enrollment ranges from 59 students (lowest) to 1,385 students (highest), a spread of 1,326 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. 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

Manitowoc School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 51.6% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Manitowoc School District student-counselor ratio is 258:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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

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

Manitowoc School District chronic absenteeism rate is 38.0% — 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?

14.5%
Federal
56.6%
State
29.0%
Local

Funding Equity

76
Equity Score
44 / 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 11 schools in Manitowoc School District.

White 58.3%
Hispanic or Latino 19.2%
African American 4.5%
Asian 8.7%
Multiracial 8.7%
Other 0.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 59.2/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Jefferson Elementary 71.3
  2. 2 Washington Middle 69.2
  3. 3 Franklin Elementary 67.0
  4. 4 Monroe Elementary 62.5
  5. 5 Riverview Early Learning Center 60.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 11
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
258:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
38.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Manitowoc School District

School Enrollment
Lincoln High
1,385
Washington Middle
566
Wilson Middle
478
Franklin Elementary
356
Jefferson Elementary
344
Jackson Elementary
336
Riverview Elementary
257
Riverview Early Learning Center
237
Monroe Elementary
232
Madison Elementary
202
Mckinley Academy
Charter
59

How Manitowoc School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Wisconsin districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Muskego-Norway School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Wisconsin Rapids School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Franklin Public School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
De Pere School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Manitowoc 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 Manitowoc School District →
Kenosha School District
19,069 students · 43 schools · $14,309/pupil
Compare vs Manitowoc School District →
Racine Unified School District
16,182 students · 26 schools · $15,577/pupil
Compare vs Manitowoc School District →

Compare Manitowoc 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 Manitowoc School District?

Manitowoc School District has 11 schools, including 1 high, 2 middle, 6 elementary, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 4,726 students.

How much does Manitowoc School District spend per student?

Manitowoc School District spends $14,717 per student. The district has an equity score of 76/100, ranking #44 in Wisconsin.

What is the demographic composition of Manitowoc School District?

Manitowoc School District students are 58.3% White, 19.2% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 4.5% African American, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Manitowoc School District?

Manitowoc School District has an equity score of 76/100, ranking #44 out of 403 districts in Wisconsin.