Enrollment
139
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waupaca, WI
Chain Exploration Center
Federal NCES profile for Chain Exploration Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 551584003091Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Chain Exploration Center earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Waupaca · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 25.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Chain Exploration Center has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Chain Exploration Center ranks #2 of 3 schools in Waupaca, WI.
School address
District: Waupaca School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551584003091 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.2%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Chain Exploration Center compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Chain Exploration Center
Chain Exploration Center is a mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Waupaca, Wisconsin, enrolling 139 students.
At 12.6:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 25.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 139 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 231 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #126.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 463 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Waupaca's public schools, it stands alongside Waupaca Learning Center Elementary (602 students): Chain Exploration Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.6:1 vs 10.4:1).
Waupaca School District also operates Waupaca High (623 students) and Waupaca Learning Center Elementary (602 students) alongside Chain Exploration Center.
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 Chain Exploration Center compares
Chain Exploration Center on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.6:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.2% | ▼ 35% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 139 | top 79% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
139
Bigger than 14% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 41% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
5.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,609
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 90.6%
Two or More 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
African American 0.7%
Largest group: White at 90.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 17.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 17.5, Chain Exploration Center is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waupaca School District, which includes Chain Exploration Center.
$14,609
Per student
-2%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 43.0%
Federal 11.6%
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 Chain Exploration Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waupaca High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waupaca Learning Center Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waupaca Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waupaca Community 4-Year Old Kindergarten | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Chain Exploration Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 546
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 133
- Students per teacher
- 26.6:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Waupaca
2 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 (~139 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Chain Exploration Center's federal record.
- Compare Chain Exploration Center against another school. Compare schools
- Waupaca 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 Chain Exploration Center
How many students attend Chain Exploration Center?
Chain Exploration Center has 139 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waupaca, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Chain Exploration Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Chain Exploration Center is 12.6:1, which is 13% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 20% 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 Chain Exploration Center?
25.2% of students at Chain Exploration Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Chain Exploration Center?
The largest demographic group at Chain Exploration Center is White at 90.6% of enrollment, in Waupaca, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Chain Exploration Center?
Chain Exploration Center has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (typical 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 Chain Exploration Center rank among schools in Waupaca?
By Resource Investment Index, Chain Exploration Center ranks #2 of 3 schools in Waupaca, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waupaca on the city page.
Is Chain Exploration Center a good school?
Chain Exploration Center earns 43/100 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 Waupaca School District?
Besides Chain Exploration Center, Waupaca School District also operates Waupaca High (623 students), Waupaca Learning Center Elementary (602 students), and Waupaca Middle (546 students). See the Waupaca 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.