Enrollment
86
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · La Crosse, WI
La Crosse Polytechnic School
Federal NCES profile for La Crosse Polytechnic School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550753002887Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
La Crosse Polytechnic School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Wisconsin schools.
- #9 of 14
- schools in La Crosse · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.8:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 30.8%
- free-lunch eligible
La Crosse Polytechnic School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, La Crosse Polytechnic School ranks #9 of 14 schools in La Crosse, WI.
School address
District: La Crosse School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550753002887 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How La Crosse Polytechnic School compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at La Crosse Polytechnic School
La Crosse Polytechnic School is a small charter combined-grade school in La Crosse, Wisconsin, enrolling 86 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 30.8% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 86 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 154 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #52.
Its student body is predominantly White (88% of enrollment) (diversity index 22/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 287 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among La Crosse's public schools, it stands alongside Southern Bluffs Elementary (333 students): La Crosse Polytechnic School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.8:1 vs 13.9:1).
La Crosse School District also operates Central High (969 students) and Logan High (729 students) alongside La Crosse Polytechnic School.
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 La Crosse Polytechnic School compares
La Crosse Polytechnic School on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.8:1 | ▼ 25% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.8% | ▼ 20% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 86 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
86
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 18% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.6%
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
$15,778
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.1 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 87.8%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Two or More 4.9%
African American 2.4%
Largest group: White at 87.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 22.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 22.4, La Crosse Polytechnic School is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 2
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for La Crosse School District, which includes La Crosse Polytechnic School.
$15,778
Per student
+6%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 50.4%
State 37.8%
Federal 11.8%
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 La Crosse Polytechnic School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Logan High | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Longfellow Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Logan Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Southern Bluffs Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to La Crosse Polytechnic School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 969
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 10.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar other schools in La Crosse
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Southern Bluffs Elementary
Standard public school
333 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Spence Elementary
Standard public school
329 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Emerson Elementary
Standard public school
317 students 12.2:1 students per teacher
Summit Environmental School
Standard public school
295 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
State Road Elementary
Standard public school
284 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
North Woods International School
Standard public school
255 students 8.8:1 students per teacher
Similar other 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 (~86 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on La Crosse Polytechnic School's federal record.
- Compare La Crosse Polytechnic School against another school. Compare schools
- La Crosse 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 La Crosse Polytechnic School
How many students attend La Crosse Polytechnic School?
La Crosse Polytechnic School has 86 students enrolled. It is a public school in La Crosse, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at La Crosse Polytechnic School?
The student-teacher ratio at La Crosse Polytechnic School is 10.8:1, which is 25% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 31% 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 La Crosse Polytechnic School?
30.8% of students at La Crosse Polytechnic School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of La Crosse Polytechnic School?
The largest demographic group at La Crosse Polytechnic School is White at 87.8% of enrollment, in La Crosse, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for La Crosse Polytechnic School?
La Crosse Polytechnic School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does La Crosse Polytechnic School rank among schools in La Crosse?
By Resource Investment Index, La Crosse Polytechnic School ranks #9 of 14 schools in La Crosse, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in La Crosse on the city page.
Is La Crosse Polytechnic School a good school?
La Crosse Polytechnic School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 La Crosse School District?
Besides La Crosse Polytechnic School, La Crosse School District also operates Central High (969 students), Logan High (729 students), and Longfellow Middle (631 students). See the La Crosse 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.