Enrollment
317
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · La Crosse, WI
Emerson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Emerson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550753000855
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 65
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Emerson Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #6 of 14
- schools in La Crosse · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.2:1
- students per teacher
- 23.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Emerson Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson Elementary ranks #6 of 14 schools in La Crosse, WI.
School address
District: La Crosse School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550753000855 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerson Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Emerson Elementary
Emerson Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in La Crosse, Wisconsin, enrolling 317 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 23.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 317 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 501 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #80.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (7%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 317 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
14.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among La Crosse's public schools, it stands alongside Southern Bluffs Elementary (333 students): Emerson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.2:1 vs 13.9:1).
La Crosse School District also operates Central High (969 students) and Logan High (729 students) alongside Emerson 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 Emerson Elementary compares
Emerson 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 | 12.2:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.8% | ▼ 38% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 317 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.2:1
Leaner classes than 74% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
317
Bigger than 35% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
12.2:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 35% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
14.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,778
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 317 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 77.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Two or More 6.0%
Asian 5.0%
African American 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 77.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.0, Emerson Elementary is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Crosse School District, which includes Emerson Elementary.
$15,778
Per student
+6%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 37.8%
Federal 11.8%
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 Emerson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Logan High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Longfellow Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Logan Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southern Bluffs Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Emerson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 969
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in La Crosse
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Southern Bluffs Elementary
Standard public school
333 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Spence Elementary
Standard public school
329 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Summit Environmental School
Standard public school
295 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
State Road Elementary
Standard public school
284 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
North Woods International School
Standard public school
255 students 8.8:1 students per teacher
Northside Elementary
Standard public school
237 students 7.4:1 students per teacher
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 (~317 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Emerson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Emerson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- La Crosse 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 Emerson Elementary
How many students attend Emerson Elementary?
Emerson Elementary has 317 students enrolled. It is a public school in La Crosse, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson Elementary is 12.2:1, which is 15% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 22% 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 Emerson Elementary?
23.8% of students at Emerson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Emerson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Emerson Elementary is White at 77.9% of enrollment, in La Crosse, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson Elementary?
Emerson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Emerson Elementary rank among schools in La Crosse?
By Resource Investment Index, Emerson Elementary ranks #6 of 14 schools in La Crosse, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in La Crosse on the city page.
Is Emerson Elementary a good school?
Emerson Elementary earns 56/100 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 La Crosse School District?
Besides Emerson Elementary, La Crosse School District also operates Central High (969 students), Logan High (729 students), and Longfellow Middle (631 students). See the La Crosse 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.