Enrollment
102
South Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Wagner, SD
Early Learning Center - 04
Federal NCES profile for Early Learning Center - 04, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 467542001278
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Early Learning Center - 04 earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Wagner · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Early Learning Center - 04 has class sizes near the South Dakota median. Computed live against every South Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Early Learning Center - 04 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Wagner, SD.
School address
District: Wagner Community School District 11-4 · South Dakota
NCES ID 467542001278 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 13.6:1 South Dakota avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 28.8% South Dakota avg
+247% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Early Learning Center - 04 compares with South Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Early Learning Center - 04
Early Learning Center - 04 is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Wagner, South Dakota, enrolling 102 students.
At 12.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the South Dakota median, within a few percentage points of the 13.6:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 247% above the South Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 102 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Dakota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 691 scored South Dakota schools.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (53%) and White (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
Its district draws 64.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Wagner Community School District 11-4 also operates Wagner Elementary - 02 (333 students) and Wagner Middle School - 03 (283 students) alongside Early Learning Center - 04.
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 Early Learning Center - 04 compares
Early Learning Center - 04 on the metrics families compare, against South Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Dakota | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 13.6:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 247% | 28.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 102 | top 48% | - | - |
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.
102
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 247% above the South Dakota average of 28.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 44% in South Dakota - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$14,978
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Dakota avg of $13,477
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 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
American Indian / Alaska Native 52.9%
White 36.3%
Two or More 10.8%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 52.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.7, Early Learning Center - 04 is more mixed than the South Dakota school average of 27.6.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wagner Community School District 11-4, which includes Early Learning Center - 04.
$14,978
Per student
+11%
vs South Dakota
Avg $13,477
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 11.4%
State 24.5%
Federal 64.1%
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 Early Learning Center - 04 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wagner Elementary - 02 | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wagner Middle School - 03 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wagner High School - 01 | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Early Learning Center - 04's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 283
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~102 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Early Learning Center - 04's federal record.
- Compare Early Learning Center - 04 against another school. Compare schools
- Wagner Community School District 11-4'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 Early Learning Center - 04
How many students attend Early Learning Center - 04?
Early Learning Center - 04 has 102 students enrolled. It is a public school in Wagner, SD.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Early Learning Center - 04?
The student-teacher ratio at Early Learning Center - 04 is 12.8:1, which is 6% lower than the South Dakota average of 13.6:1 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 Early Learning Center - 04?
100.0% of students at Early Learning Center - 04 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Dakota average of 28.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Early Learning Center - 04?
The largest demographic group at Early Learning Center - 04 is American Indian / Alaska Native at 52.9% of enrollment, in Wagner, SD. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Early Learning Center - 04?
Early Learning Center - 04 has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Early Learning Center - 04 rank among public schools in Wagner?
By Resource Investment Index, Early Learning Center - 04 ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Wagner, SD. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Wagner on the city page.
Is Early Learning Center - 04 a good school?
Early Learning Center - 04 earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the South Dakota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most South Dakota 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 Wagner Community School District 11-4?
Besides Early Learning Center - 04, Wagner Community School District 11-4 also operates Wagner Elementary - 02 (333 students), Wagner Middle School - 03 (283 students), and Wagner High School - 01 (201 students). See the Wagner Community School District 11-4 district page for the complete list.
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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.