Enrollment
348
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 550105000141
Gaston Elementary — Beloit, WI
Federal NCES profile for Gaston Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 2
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: Beloit 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)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 15.1:1 Wisconsin avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
79.7%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+107% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gaston 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
Gaston Elementary reports 348 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% 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 25% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 79.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 107% above the Wisconsin average and 54% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 348 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 39.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Beloit School District spends $20,109 per pupil district-wide, above the Wisconsin average of $18,610 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 18.1% from local sources (property taxes), 65.4% from the state, and 16.4% 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 4 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 Gaston 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 21% | 15.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 79.7% | ▲ 107% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 348 | top 59% | — | — |
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
79.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 107% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
— 21% below state mean
Top 26% in Wisconsin — lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
39.4%
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
$20,109
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 348 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 348 Top 59% in Wisconsin — larger than 41% of 2,205 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 11.9:1 -21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 79.7% +107% vs state
NCES ID 550105000141
Student demographics
White 42.8%
Hispanic or Latino 30.2%
Two or More 14.9%
African American 10.1%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 42.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 348:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 39.4%
In-school suspensions 14
Out-of-school suspensions 15
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beloit School District, which includes Gaston Elementary.
$20,109
Per student
+8%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $18,610
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 18.1%
State 65.4%
Federal 16.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,305
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Enrollment
- 490
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Enrollment
- 477
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Enrollment
- 471
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
Similar other schools in Beloit
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
The Lincoln Academy
Standard public school
727 students 16.9:1 students per teacher
Robinson Elementary
Standard public school
477 students 12:1 students per teacher
Todd Elementary
Standard public school
471 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Converse Elementary
Standard public school
446 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Hackett Elementary
Standard public school
434 students 11:1 students per teacher
Powers Elementary
Standard public school
331 students 15.8:1 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 Gaston Elementary
How many students attend Gaston Elementary?
Gaston Elementary has 348 students enrolled. It is a other school in Beloit, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gaston Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Gaston Elementary is 11.9:1, which is 21% lower than the Wisconsin average of 15.1:1 and 25% 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 Gaston Elementary?
79.7% of students at Gaston Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gaston Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Gaston Elementary is White at 42.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Beloit, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gaston Elementary?
Gaston Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.