WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT operates 11 public schools serving 4,279 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 other, 2 high, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 4,192 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Kandiyohi County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,678 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 15.4% local, 72.1% state, and 12.4% 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 $98,047 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 70/100, ranked #64 of 417 in Minnesota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (10 AP courses district-wide), a 300.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 49.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.2% Hispanic or Latino, 31.6% White, 13.2% African American across the district's schools.
Willmar Senior High accounts for 28.7% of all WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means WILLMAR 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.
WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment varies 110× across entities
WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment ranges from 11 students (lowest) to 1,205 students (highest), a spread of 1,194 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity — the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 70.7% 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.
WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT student-counselor ratio is 300:1 — 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 WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT is typically wider than the WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT-aggregate figure suggests.
WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT chronic absenteeism rate is 49.4% — 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.
How many schools are in WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT has 11 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 7 other. Total enrollment is 4,279 students.
How much does WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT spend per student?
WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT spends $16,678 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #64 in Minnesota.
What is the average teacher salary in WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The average teacher salary in WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT is $98,047 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Kandiyohi County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT students are 45.2% Hispanic or Latino, 31.6% White, 13.2% African American, 3.8% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?
WILLMAR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #64 out of 417 districts in Minnesota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.