Enrollment
269
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rhinelander, WI
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 551272001674
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Rhinelander · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 56.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Rhinelander, WI.
School address
District: Rhinelander School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551272001674 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.6%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, enrolling 269 students.
At 12.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Wisconsin median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 56.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 269 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 226 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #45.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 269 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 16.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Rhinelander's public schools, it stands alongside Crescent Elementary (384 students): Central Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.8:1 vs 11.6:1).
Rhinelander School District also operates Rhinelander High (757 students) and James Williams Middle (454 students) alongside Central Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Central Elementary compares
Central Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.6% | ▲ 47% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 269 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
269
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 44% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
7.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,275
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 269 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 84.8%
Two or More 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
African American 1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 84.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.4, Central Elementary is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rhinelander School District, which includes Central Elementary.
$15,275
Per student
+2%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.3%
State 22.1%
Federal 16.5%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhinelander High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| James Williams Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crescent Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pelican Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northwoods Community Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 263
- Students per teacher
- 11.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 97
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar other schools in Rhinelander
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Wisconsin, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~269 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Rhinelander School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 269 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rhinelander, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 12.8:1, which is 11% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Central Elementary?
56.6% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is White at 84.8% of enrollment, in Rhinelander, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Central Elementary rank among schools in Rhinelander?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Rhinelander, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rhinelander on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Rhinelander School District?
Besides Central Elementary, Rhinelander School District also operates Rhinelander High (757 students), James Williams Middle (454 students), and Crescent Elementary (384 students). See the Rhinelander School District district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.