Enrollment
270
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Kaukauna, WI
New Directions Learning Community
Federal NCES profile for New Directions Learning Community, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550729002878Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 63
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
New Directions Learning Community earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Wisconsin schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Kaukauna · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 11.7%
- free-lunch eligible
New Directions Learning Community has class sizes larger than 89% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, New Directions Learning Community ranks #2 of 3 schools in Kaukauna, WI.
School address
District: Kaukauna Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550729002878 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.7%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How New Directions Learning Community compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at New Directions Learning Community
New Directions Learning Community is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Kaukauna, Wisconsin, enrolling 270 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18:1 is larger than about 89% of Wisconsin schools and 25% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 11.7% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the Wisconsin average.
With 270 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 267 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #243, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 900 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
14.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Kaukauna's public schools, it stands alongside Dr H B Tanner Elementary (466 students): New Directions Learning Community is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18:1 vs 14.1:1).
Kaukauna Area School District also operates Kaukauna High (1,210 students) and River View School (1,160 students) alongside New Directions Learning Community.
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 New Directions Learning Community compares
New Directions Learning Community on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 25% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.7% | ▼ 70% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 270 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
270
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
11.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 89% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
14.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,847
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.3 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 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 91.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Two or More 3.0%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 91.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.6, New Directions Learning Community is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Kaukauna Area School District, which includes New Directions Learning Community.
$12,847
Per student
-14%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 59.5%
Federal 8.8%
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 New Directions Learning Community Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaukauna High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| River View School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dr H B Tanner Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Quinney Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Haen Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to New Directions Learning Community's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,210
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 466
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 359
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 323
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar other schools in Kaukauna
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~270 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on New Directions Learning Community's federal record.
- Compare New Directions Learning Community against another school. Compare schools
- Kaukauna 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 New Directions Learning Community
How many students attend New Directions Learning Community?
New Directions Learning Community has 270 students enrolled. It is a public school in Kaukauna, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at New Directions Learning Community?
The student-teacher ratio at New Directions Learning Community is 18:1, which is 25% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at New Directions Learning Community?
11.7% of students at New Directions Learning Community are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of New Directions Learning Community?
The largest demographic group at New Directions Learning Community is White at 91.1% of enrollment, in Kaukauna, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for New Directions Learning Community?
New Directions Learning Community has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 New Directions Learning Community rank among schools in Kaukauna?
By Resource Investment Index, New Directions Learning Community ranks #2 of 3 schools in Kaukauna, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Kaukauna on the city page.
Is New Directions Learning Community a good school?
New Directions Learning Community earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% 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 Kaukauna Area School District?
Besides New Directions Learning Community, Kaukauna Area School District also operates Kaukauna High (1,210 students), River View School (1,160 students), and Dr H B Tanner Elementary (466 students). See the Kaukauna 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.