Waseca 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.

Waseca, Minnesota - 7 schools

An equity score of 45/100 ranks Waseca Public School District #240 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,498 per pupil, Waseca Public School District ranks #220 of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,784
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$14,498
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Waseca Public School District operates 7 public schools serving 1,784 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 combined, 2 middle, 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 Waseca County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,498 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 24.5% local, 64.6% state, and 10.8% 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 #240 of 410 in Minnesota 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 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 411.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 65.8% White, 25.8% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Waseca Area Learning Center, with a diversity index of 59.4/100.

Its largest campus is Waseca Senior High, enrolling 555 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Waseca Middle Level Alc, at 5 students, a 111x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Waseca Senior High accounts for 31.1% of all Waseca Public School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Waseca 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

Waseca Public School District school enrollment varies 111× across entities

Waseca Public School District school enrollment ranges from 5 students (lowest) to 555 students (highest), a spread of 550 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

Waseca Public School District student-counselor ratio is 412:1 — 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

Waseca Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 21.6% — 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 Waseca Public School District is typically wider than the Waseca 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?

10.8%
Federal
64.6%
State
24.5%
Local

Funding Equity

45
Equity Score
240 / 410
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 7 schools in Waseca Public School District.

White 65.8%
Hispanic or Latino 25.8%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 5.6%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 45.7/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Waseca Area Learning Center 59.4
  2. 2 Waseca Middle Level Alc 48.0
  3. 3 Waseca Early Childhood 47.2
  4. 4 Hartley Elementary 44.7
  5. 5 Waseca Junior High 40.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
411.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
21.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Waseca Public School District

School Enrollment
Waseca Senior High
555
Hartley Elementary
429
Waseca Intermediate School
380
Waseca Junior High
280
Waseca Area Learning Center
65
Waseca Early Childhood
38
Waseca Middle Level Alc
5

How Waseca Public School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Albany Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Pequot Lakes Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Park Rapids Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Thief River Falls School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Fairmont Area School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Waseca 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.

Anoka-Hennepin School District
38,590 students · 52 schools · $14,265/pupil
Compare vs Waseca Public School District →
Saint Paul Public Schools
32,316 students · 99 schools · $20,457/pupil
Compare vs Waseca Public School District →
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan
29,221 students · 41 schools · $14,314/pupil
Compare vs Waseca Public School District →
Osseo Public School District
20,737 students · 33 schools · $15,525/pupil
Compare vs Waseca Public School District →

Compare Waseca 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 Waseca Public School District?

Waseca Public School District has 7 schools, including 1 high, 3 combined, 1 elementary, 2 middle. Total enrollment is 1,784 students.

How much does Waseca Public School District spend per student?

Waseca Public School District spends $14,498 per student. The district has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #240 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of Waseca Public School District?

Waseca Public School District students are 65.8% White, 25.8% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% African American, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Waseca Public School District?

Waseca Public School District has an equity score of 45/100, ranking #240 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.