WEST CENTRAL AREA operates 4 public schools serving 779 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other, 1 elementary, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 743 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Grant County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,501 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 22.6% local, 66.0% state, and 11.4% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $88,314 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 52/100, ranked #193 of 417 in Minnesota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 229:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 18.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 89.5% White, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% African American across the district's schools.
Wca Middle School accounts for 31.2% of all WEST CENTRAL AREA student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means WEST CENTRAL AREA-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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.
WEST CENTRAL AREA student-counselor ratio is 229:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)
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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
WEST CENTRAL AREA chronic absenteeism rate is 18.8% — 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 WEST CENTRAL AREA is typically wider than the WEST CENTRAL AREA-aggregate figure suggests.
WEST CENTRAL AREA has 4 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 high, 2 other. Total enrollment is 779 students.
How much does WEST CENTRAL AREA spend per student?
WEST CENTRAL AREA spends $16,501 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #193 in Minnesota.
What is the average teacher salary in WEST CENTRAL AREA?
The average teacher salary in WEST CENTRAL AREA is $88,314 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near WEST CENTRAL AREA?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Grant County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of WEST CENTRAL AREA?
WEST CENTRAL AREA students are 89.5% White, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.7% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for WEST CENTRAL AREA?
WEST CENTRAL AREA has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #193 out of 417 districts in Minnesota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.