Watertown Unified School District
Public school district · Jefferson County · Wisconsin · NCES district ID 5515750
Watertown Unified School District spent $14,825 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 69% of the other Wisconsin districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $13,856). Its 10 schools enrolled 3,076 students in 2024-25; 50.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,044 per student, up 8.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 93% (Wisconsin: 90.5%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Wisconsin districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Watertown Unified in enrollment (3,007 to 3,350 students) and Watertown Unified itself.
Where the money came from
$63,857,000 in revenue: 50.7% state, 38.8% local and 10.6% federal. Total spending including $799,000 of capital outlay was $57,600,000, or $17,989 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$32,356,000 51%
- Local$24,745,000 39%
- Federal$6,756,000 11%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 190 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
3,202 students in 2022-23, 3,231 students in 2023-24, 3,076 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 3,202 | 228.8 | 14.0 |
| 2023-24 | 3,231 | 228.4 | 14.1 |
| 2024-25 | 3,076 | 227.9 | 13.5 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$19,961,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,234 per student
Watertown Unified School District booked $19,961,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 229 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $87,242 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 97 in 100 Wisconsin districts with a figure (state median $69,818, 412 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Wisconsin teacher salary at $60,453 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $13,787,000 | 69.1% |
| Special education | $4,802,000 | 24.1% |
| Vocational | $774,000 | 3.9% |
| Other programs | $598,000 | 3.0% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,758 in 2018-19, $4,821 in 2019-20, $5,551 in 2020-21, $5,734 in 2021-22, $6,234 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Watertown Unified School District scored proficient or above: 33-37% in reading and 33-37% in math, against 38% in reading and 40% in math across Wisconsin. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Wisconsin, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.
| Subject | This district | Wisconsin | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 33-37% | 38% | 1,283 |
| Math | 33-37% | 40% | 1,283 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
93% of the 277 students in Watertown Unified School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.5% across Wisconsin. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 93% | 90.5% |
| Students in the class | 277 | 65,638 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
5 elementary schools, 1,115 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webster Elementary | 381 | 14.7 | 44.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Douglas Elementary | 311 | 10.8 | 49.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Schurz Elementary | 223 | 9.7 | 57.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Lincoln Elementary | 140 | 12.7 | 40.7% | Schoolwide program |
| LEAP Elementary | 60 | 18.8 | 31.7% | Targeted program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 middle school, 616 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside Middle | 616 | 12.5 | 36.9% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 high schools, 1,058 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown High | 1,012 | 14.9 | 27.0% | Not Title I |
| Endeavor Charter School | 46 | 15.3 | 28.3% | Eligible, no program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 other schools, 287 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown 4 Kids | 155 | 19.4 | 49.0% | Not Title I |
| eCampus Academy Charter School | 132 | 16.5 | 37.1% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Watertown Unified School District
- Website: watertown.k12.wi.us
- Phone: (920) 262-1460
- Office: 111 Dodge St, Watertown, WI 53094
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Watertown Unified School District
- Wisconsin districts by spending per studentWatertown Unified School District ranks 60 of 190 Wisconsin districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,825).#60 of 190
- Every school district in WisconsinWatertown Unified School District is the number 64 by size of 451 Wisconsin districts, with 3,202 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#64 of 451
- Ashwaubenon School DistrictThe next larger Wisconsin district: 3,215 students in fall 2022, $12,627 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,627
- Beaver Dam Unified School DistrictThe next smaller Wisconsin district: 3,173 students in fall 2022, $13,767 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,767
- Compare Watertown Unified School District with Ashwaubenon School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Watertown High, its largest high school1,012 students in 2024-25, 14.9 per teacher.1,012
- Teacher salary spending across WisconsinWatertown Unified School District spent $87,242 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $69,818); spending, not a salary.$87,242
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Watertown Unified School District
How many schools and students are in Watertown Unified School District?
10 schools were open in 2024-25 (5 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high, 2 other), enrolling 3,076 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Watertown Unified School District spend per student?
$14,825 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Wisconsin median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,856 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,044 per student, up 8.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Watertown Unified School District's money come from?
$63,857,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 50.7% state, 38.8% local and 10.6% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Watertown Unified School District live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 414 of the 4,491 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 9.2%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Watertown Unified School District spend on teacher salaries?
$19,961,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,234 per student. Divided by the 229 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $87,242 per teacher, more than 97 in 100 Wisconsin districts (state median $69,818). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Wisconsin teacher salary at $60,453 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Watertown Unified School District do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Watertown Unified School District scored proficient or above: 33-37% in reading and 33-37% in math, against 38% in reading and 40% in math across Wisconsin. Wisconsin's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Watertown Unified School District?
93% of the 277 students in Watertown Unified School District's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90.5% across Wisconsin. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Watertown Unified School District's NCES district ID?
5515750. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25