Enrollment
168
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data High school (grades 9-12) NCES 551626002490
James E Dottke Alternative School — West Allis, WI
Federal NCES profile for James E Dottke Alternative School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 23/100.
👥 Class size 42
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 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: West Allis-West Milwaukee 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)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 15.1:1 Wisconsin avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James E Dottke Alternative School 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
James E Dottke Alternative School reports 168 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 11.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 4% 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 9% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 64.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 68% above the Wisconsin average and 25% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 336 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 54.8% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding West Allis-West Milwaukee School District spends $16,804 per pupil district-wide, below the Wisconsin average of $18,610 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.3% from local sources (property taxes), 50.1% from the state, and 12.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (F), calculated from 5 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 James E Dottke Alternative School 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 | 14.5:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.8% | ▲ 68% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 168 | top 26% | — | — |
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
64.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 68% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
— 4% below state mean
Top 66% in Wisconsin — lower ratio than 34% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
54.8%
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
$16,804
per pupil, district-wide
— below Wisconsin avg of $18,610
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 336 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 168 Top 26% in Wisconsin — larger than 74% of 2,205 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 11.0
Students per teacher 14.5:1 -4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 64.8% +68% vs state
NCES ID 551626002490
Student demographics
White 60.7%
Hispanic or Latino 20.2%
Two or More 12.5%
African American 4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: White at 60.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP program Not offered
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 336:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 54.8%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 15
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Allis-West Milwaukee School District, which includes James E Dottke Alternative School.
$16,804
Per student
-10%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $18,610
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 37.3%
State 50.1%
Federal 12.6%
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
- 1,134
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Enrollment
- 961
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 384
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
Similar high schools in West Allis
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 James E Dottke Alternative School
How many students attend James E Dottke Alternative School?
James E Dottke Alternative School has 168 students enrolled. It is a high school in West Allis, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James E Dottke Alternative School?
The student-teacher ratio at James E Dottke Alternative School is 14.5:1, which is 4% lower than the Wisconsin average of 15.1:1 and 9% 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 James E Dottke Alternative School?
64.8% of students at James E Dottke Alternative School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James E Dottke Alternative School?
The largest demographic group at James E Dottke Alternative School is White at 60.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in West Allis, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James E Dottke Alternative School?
James E Dottke Alternative School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (F) based on 5 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.