Enrollment
499
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Appleton, WI
Ferber Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Ferber Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550039002426
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ferber Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #16 of 20
- schools in Appleton · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 28.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Ferber Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ferber Elementary ranks #16 of 20 schools in Appleton, WI.
School address
District: Appleton Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550039002426 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.3%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ferber Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ferber Elementary
Ferber Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Appleton, Wisconsin, enrolling 499 students.
At 12.8:1, 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 28.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 499 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 504 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #421, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Asian (13%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 499 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Appleton's public schools, it stands alongside Wisconsin Connections Academy (743 students): Ferber Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.8:1 vs 35.4:1).
Appleton Area School District also operates North High (1,635 students) and East High (1,238 students) alongside Ferber 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 Ferber Elementary compares
Ferber 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.3% | ▼ 26% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 499 | top 21% | - | - |
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.
499
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 44% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 499 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.2 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 69.5%
Asian 12.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Two or More 7.0%
African American 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 69.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.9, Ferber Elementary is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Appleton Area School District, which includes Ferber Elementary.
$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 Ferber Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Einstein Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ferber Elementary'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 other schools in Appleton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Wisconsin Connections Academy
Standard public school
743 students 35.4:1 students per teacher
Appleton Community 4k
Standard public school
672 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Huntley Elementary
Standard public school
570 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Houdini Elementary
Standard public school
501 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Highlands Elementary
Standard public school
417 students 9.9:1 students per teacher
Mckinley Elementary
Standard public school
380 students 10.3:1 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 (~499 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ferber Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Ferber Elementary 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 Ferber Elementary
How many students attend Ferber Elementary?
Ferber Elementary has 499 students enrolled. It is a public school in Appleton, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ferber Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Ferber Elementary is 12.8:1, which is 11% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 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 Ferber Elementary?
28.3% of students at Ferber Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ferber Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Ferber Elementary is White at 69.5% of enrollment, in Appleton, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ferber Elementary?
Ferber Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Ferber Elementary rank among schools in Appleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Ferber Elementary ranks #16 of 20 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 schools in Appleton on the city page.
Is Ferber Elementary a good school?
Ferber Elementary earns 36/100 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 Appleton Area School District?
Besides Ferber Elementary, 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.