Enrollment
344
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Chippewa Falls, WI
Hillcrest Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hillcrest Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 550255000285
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 45
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillcrest Elementary earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Chippewa Falls · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 30.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillcrest Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Chippewa Falls, WI.
School address
District: Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550255000285 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.2%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillcrest Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillcrest Elementary
Hillcrest Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, enrolling 344 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 30.2% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 344 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 547 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #237.
Its student body is predominantly White (89% of enrollment) (diversity index 21/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 344 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Chippewa Falls's elementary schools, it stands alongside Parkview Elementary (377 students): Hillcrest Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.3:1 vs 12.2:1).
Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District also operates Chippewa Falls High (1,451 students) and Chippewa Falls Middle (999 students) alongside Hillcrest 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 Hillcrest Elementary compares
Hillcrest 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.2% | ▼ 22% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 344 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
344
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 64% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.8%
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
$13,311
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 344 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
White 88.7%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
Two or More 4.1%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 88.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 20.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 20.8, Hillcrest Elementary is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District, which includes Hillcrest Elementary.
$13,311
Per student
-11%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.2%
State 50.2%
Federal 10.7%
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 Hillcrest Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa Falls High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chippewa Falls Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parkview Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Halmstad Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stillson Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillcrest Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,451
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 355
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 338
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Chippewa Falls
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~344 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillcrest Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hillcrest Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Chippewa Falls Area Unified 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 Hillcrest Elementary
How many students attend Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has 344 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Chippewa Falls, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillcrest Elementary is 14.3:1, which is 1% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 9% 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 Hillcrest Elementary?
30.2% of students at Hillcrest Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillcrest Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hillcrest Elementary is White at 88.7% of enrollment, in Chippewa Falls, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillcrest Elementary?
Hillcrest Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Hillcrest Elementary rank among elementary schools in Chippewa Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillcrest Elementary ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Chippewa Falls, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Chippewa Falls on the city page.
Is Hillcrest Elementary a good school?
Hillcrest Elementary earns 47/100 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 Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District?
Besides Hillcrest Elementary, Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District also operates Chippewa Falls High (1,451 students), Chippewa Falls Middle (999 students), and Parkview Elementary (377 students). See the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District 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.