Enrollment
90
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sparta, WI
Innovations Stem Academy
Federal NCES profile for Innovations Stem Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 551416003001Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Innovations Stem Academy earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Wisconsin schools.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Sparta · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.5:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 17.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Innovations Stem Academy has class sizes larger than 95% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Innovations Stem Academy ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Sparta, WI.
School address
District: Sparta Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551416003001 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+56% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.6%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Innovations Stem Academy compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Innovations Stem Academy
Innovations Stem Academy is a lower-poverty, small charter middle school in Sparta, Wisconsin, enrolling 90 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.5:1 is larger than about 95% of Wisconsin schools and 56% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 17.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 90 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 106 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #65.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (14%) (diversity index 36/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Sparta Area School District also operates Sparta High (871 students) and Sparta Meadowview Middle (687 students) alongside Innovations Stem Academy.
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 Innovations Stem Academy compares
Innovations Stem Academy on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.5:1 | ▲ 56% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.6% | ▼ 54% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 90 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.5:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
90
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
22.5:1
students per teacher
- 56% above state mean
Top 95% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
5.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,626
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.3 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 78.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.4%
African American 3.3%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%
Two or More 1.1%
Largest group: White at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.5, Innovations Stem Academy is about as mixed as the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sparta Area School District, which includes Innovations Stem Academy.
$14,626
Per student
-2%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.6%
State 59.0%
Federal 13.4%
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 Innovations Stem Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sparta Meadowview Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Herrman Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southside Early Learning Center | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sparta Montessori School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Innovations Stem Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 871
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 687
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 268
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 161
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar middle 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 (~90 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~22.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Innovations Stem Academy's federal record.
- Compare Innovations Stem Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Sparta 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 Innovations Stem Academy
How many students attend Innovations Stem Academy?
Innovations Stem Academy has 90 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sparta, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Innovations Stem Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Innovations Stem Academy is 22.5:1, which is 56% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 43% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Innovations Stem Academy?
17.6% of students at Innovations Stem Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Innovations Stem Academy?
The largest demographic group at Innovations Stem Academy is White at 78.9% of enrollment, in Sparta, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Innovations Stem Academy?
Innovations Stem Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Innovations Stem Academy rank among public schools in Sparta?
By Resource Investment Index, Innovations Stem Academy ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Sparta, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Sparta on the city page.
Is Innovations Stem Academy a good school?
Innovations Stem Academy earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of Wisconsin schools. 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 Sparta Area School District?
Besides Innovations Stem Academy, Sparta Area School District also operates Sparta High (871 students), Sparta Meadowview Middle (687 students), and Herrman Elementary (616 students). See the Sparta 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.