Waconia Public 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.

Waconia, Minnesota - 8 schools

An equity score of 29/100 ranks Waconia Public School District #343 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,956 per pupil, Waconia Public School District ranks #353 of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,045
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$12,956
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Waconia Public School District operates 8 public schools serving 4,045 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 high, 3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 combined 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 Carver County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,956 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 33.1% local, 58.3% state, and 8.7% 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 29/100, ranked #343 of 410 in Minnesota 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 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), a 441.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 17.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 85.6% White, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 2.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Transitions 110, with a diversity index of 44.7/100.

Its largest campus is Waconia High School, enrolling 1,335 students (34% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Transitions 110, at 11 students, a 121x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Waconia High School accounts for 33.0% of all Waconia Public School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Waconia Public 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

Waconia Public School District school enrollment varies 121× across entities

Waconia Public School District school enrollment ranges from 11 students (lowest) to 1,335 students (highest), a spread of 1,324 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. 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

Waconia Public School District student-counselor ratio is 441:1 — 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

Waconia Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 17.6% — 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 Waconia Public School District is typically wider than the Waconia Public 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?

8.7%
Federal
58.3%
State
33.1%
Local

Funding Equity

29
Equity Score
343 / 410
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in Waconia Public School District.

White 85.6%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
African American 2.0%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 4.2%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 25.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Waconia Public School District's schools, below the Minnesota average of 42.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Transitions 110 44.7
  2. 2 Waconia Learning Center 27.8
  3. 3 Waconia Middle School 25.1
  4. 4 Early Childhood Special Education 24.0
  5. 5 Bayview Elementary 23.3

Programs & Resources

1 / 8
Schools with AP
10 AP courses total
441.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
17.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Waconia Public School District

School Enrollment
Waconia High School
1,335
Waconia Middle School
885
Southview Elementary
544
Bayview Elementary
530
Laketown Elementary
530
Early Childhood Special Education
67
Waconia Learning Center
25
Transitions 110
11

How Waconia Public School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Alexandria Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Grand Rapids Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Sartell-St. Stephen School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hastings Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Richfield Public School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Waconia Public School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Minnesota

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Compare Waconia Public School District

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

Compare vs Anoka-Hennepin School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Waconia Public School District?

Waconia Public School District has 8 schools, including 3 high, 1 middle, 3 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 4,045 students.

How much does Waconia Public School District spend per student?

Waconia Public School District spends $12,956 per student. The district has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #343 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of Waconia Public School District?

Waconia Public School District students are 85.6% White, 7.0% Hispanic or Latino, 2.0% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Waconia Public School District?

Waconia Public School District has an equity score of 29/100, ranking #343 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.