Enrollment
487
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Appleton, WI
Classical School
Federal NCES profile for Classical School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 550039001619Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 19
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Classical School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Wisconsin schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Wisconsin schools.
- #5 of 7
- elementary schools in Appleton · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.3:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 14.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Classical School has class sizes larger than 93% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Classical School ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Appleton, WI.
School address
District: Appleton Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550039001619 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+41% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
14.0%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Classical School compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Classical School
Classical School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Appleton, Wisconsin, enrolling 487 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.3:1 is larger than about 93% of Wisconsin schools and 41% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 14.0% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the Wisconsin average.
Enrollment of 487 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 379 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #257.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and Asian (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Appleton's elementary schools, it stands alongside Woodland School (478 students): Classical School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.3:1 vs 14.9:1).
Appleton Area School District also operates North High (1,635 students) and East High (1,238 students) alongside Classical School.
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 Classical School compares
Classical School on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.3:1 | ▲ 41% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 14.0% | ▼ 64% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 487 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.3:1
Leaner classes than 15% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
487
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
14.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.3:1
students per teacher
- 41% above state mean
Top 93% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
9.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,545
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
Counselors0.2 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 57.3%
Asian 24.4%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
Two or More 6.8%
African American 4.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 57.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.1, Classical School is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Appleton Area School District, which includes Classical School.
$13,545
Per student
-9%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 48.8%
Federal 11.4%
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 Classical School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Einstein Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Classical School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,635
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar elementary schools in Appleton
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Woodland School
Standard public school
478 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Sunrise Elementary
Standard public school
456 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Woodland Intermediate
Standard public school
316 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Odyssey-Magellan
Standard public school
214 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Fox River Academy
Standard public school
150 students 30:1 students per teacher
Appleton Bilingual School
Standard public school
139 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~487 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Classical School's federal record.
- Compare Classical School against another school. Compare schools
- Appleton Area 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 Classical School
How many students attend Classical School?
Classical School has 487 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Appleton, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Classical School?
The student-teacher ratio at Classical School is 20.3:1, which is 41% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 29% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Classical School?
14.0% of students at Classical School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Classical School?
The largest demographic group at Classical School is White at 57.3% of enrollment, in Appleton, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Classical School?
Classical School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Classical School rank among elementary schools in Appleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Classical School ranks #5 of 7 elementary schools in Appleton, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Appleton on the city page.
Is Classical School a good school?
Classical School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Wisconsin schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Wisconsin schools. 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 Appleton Area School District?
Besides Classical School, Appleton Area School District also operates North High (1,635 students), East High (1,238 students), and West High (1,024 students). See the Appleton Area 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.