Enrollment
297
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 550852000927
Emerson Elementary — Madison, WI
Federal NCES profile for Emerson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Madison Metropolitan School District · Wisconsin
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 15.1:1 Wisconsin avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.0%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Emerson Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Emerson Elementary reports 297 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 26.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 11% below the Wisconsin state mean of 15.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 15% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 51.0% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 32% above the Wisconsin average and 2% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 55.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Madison Metropolitan School District spends $20,303 per pupil district-wide, above the Wisconsin average of $18,610 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 72.6% from local sources (property taxes), 18.4% from the state, and 9.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Emerson Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Wisconsin state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.5:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.0% | ▲ 32% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 297 | top 49% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
51.0%
free-lunch eligible
— 32% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
— 11% below state mean
Top 50% in Wisconsin — lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
55.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,303
per pupil, district-wide
— above Wisconsin avg of $18,610
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 297 Top 49% in Wisconsin — larger than 51% of 2,205 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 26.0
Students per teacher 13.5:1 -11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 51.0% +32% vs state
NCES ID 550852000927
Student demographics
White 43.4%
African American 27.1%
Hispanic or Latino 14.9%
Two or More 11.5%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 43.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 55.9%
In-school suspensions 13
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison Metropolitan School District, which includes Emerson Elementary.
$20,303
Per student
+9%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $18,610
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 72.6%
State 18.4%
Federal 9.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,222
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Enrollment
- 2,004
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,643
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,541
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
Similar other schools in Madison
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Cesar Chavez Elementary
Standard public school
631 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Leopold Elementary
Standard public school
626 students 10.6:1 students per teacher
4k Pk Off Site
Standard public school
619 students 13.1:1 students per teacher
Kennedy Elementary
Standard public school
582 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Dr Virginia Henderson Elementary School
Standard public school
462 students 10.9:1 students per teacher
Milele Chikasa Anana Elementary School
Standard public school
455 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Emerson Elementary
How many students attend Emerson Elementary?
Emerson Elementary has 297 students enrolled. It is a other school in Madison, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Emerson Elementary is 13.5:1, which is 11% lower than the Wisconsin average of 15.1:1 and 15% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Emerson Elementary?
51.0% 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 43.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Madison, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Emerson Elementary?
Emerson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.