Enrollment
286
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 550039000058
Johnston Elementary — Appleton, WI
Federal NCES profile for Johnston Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 50/100.
👥 Class size 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 71
📋 Attendance 14
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: Appleton Area 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)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 15.1:1 Wisconsin avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.6%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Johnston 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
Johnston Elementary reports 286 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 29.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 7% 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 12% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 55.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 44% above the Wisconsin average and 7% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 143 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 34.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Appleton Area School District spends $14,757 per pupil district-wide, below the Wisconsin average of $18,610 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 39.7% from local sources (property taxes), 48.8% from the state, and 11.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-), 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 Johnston 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 7% | 15.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.6% | ▲ 44% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 286 | top 47% | — | — |
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
55.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 44% 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
14:1
students per teacher
— 7% below state mean
Top 58% in Wisconsin — lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
34.3%
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
$14,757
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 143 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 286 Top 47% in Wisconsin — larger than 53% of 2,205 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 29.0
Students per teacher 14:1 -7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 55.6% +44% vs state
NCES ID 550039000058
Student demographics
White 46.5%
Asian 24.5%
Two or More 10.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.8%
African American 7.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 46.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 143:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 34.3%
In-school suspensions 4
Out-of-school suspensions 4
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Appleton Area School District, which includes Johnston Elementary.
$14,757
Per student
-21%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $18,610
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,635
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
Similar other schools in Appleton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Wisconsin Connections Academy
Standard public school
743 students 34.2:1 students per teacher
Appleton Community 4k
Standard public school
672 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Huntley Elementary
Standard public school
570 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Houdini Elementary
Standard public school
501 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Ferber Elementary
Standard public school
499 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Highlands Elementary
Standard public school
417 students 12.6:1 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 Johnston Elementary
How many students attend Johnston Elementary?
Johnston Elementary has 286 students enrolled. It is a other school in Appleton, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Johnston Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Johnston Elementary is 14:1, which is 7% lower than the Wisconsin average of 15.1:1 and 12% 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 Johnston Elementary?
55.6% of students at Johnston Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Johnston Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Johnston Elementary is White at 46.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Appleton, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Johnston Elementary?
Johnston Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-) 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.