Enrollment
43
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hayward, WI
Northern Waters Environmental School
Federal NCES profile for Northern Waters Environmental School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550627002867Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 94
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northern Waters Environmental School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Hayward · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 38.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Northern Waters Environmental School has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northern Waters Environmental School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Hayward, WI.
School address
District: Hayward Community School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550627002867 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.7%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northern Waters Environmental School compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northern Waters Environmental School
Northern Waters Environmental School is a small charter combined-grade school in Hayward, Wisconsin, enrolling 43 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 38.7% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of Wisconsin schools, with 43 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 50 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #8.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 36/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 16.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Hayward's public schools, it stands alongside Hayward Primary (403 students): Northern Waters Environmental School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.3:1 vs 10.3:1).
Hayward Community School District also operates Hayward High (522 students) and Hayward Primary (403 students) alongside Northern Waters Environmental 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 Northern Waters Environmental School compares
Northern Waters Environmental 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.7% | ▲ 1% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 43 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
43
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 64% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
2.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$15,508
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.6 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 79.1%
Two or More 9.3%
Hispanic or Latino 7.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.7%
Largest group: White at 79.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.9, Northern Waters Environmental School is about as mixed as the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hayward Community School District, which includes Northern Waters Environmental School.
$15,508
Per student
+4%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.7%
State 11.2%
Federal 16.0%
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 Northern Waters Environmental School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hayward Primary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hayward Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hayward Intermediate | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hayward Ctr for Individualized Learning | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northern Waters Environmental School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 522
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 403
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 340
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 327
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 31.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Hayward
3 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 (~43 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northern Waters Environmental School's federal record.
- Compare Northern Waters Environmental School against another school. Compare schools
- Hayward Community 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 Northern Waters Environmental School
How many students attend Northern Waters Environmental School?
Northern Waters Environmental School has 43 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hayward, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northern Waters Environmental School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northern Waters Environmental School is 14.3:1, which is 1% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 9% 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 Northern Waters Environmental School?
38.7% of students at Northern Waters Environmental School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northern Waters Environmental School?
The largest demographic group at Northern Waters Environmental School is White at 79.1% of enrollment, in Hayward, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northern Waters Environmental School?
Northern Waters Environmental School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher 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 Northern Waters Environmental School rank among schools in Hayward?
By Resource Investment Index, Northern Waters Environmental School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Hayward, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hayward on the city page.
Is Northern Waters Environmental School a good school?
Northern Waters Environmental School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. 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 Hayward Community School District?
Besides Northern Waters Environmental School, Hayward Community School District also operates Hayward High (522 students), Hayward Primary (403 students), and Hayward Middle (340 students). See the Hayward Community 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.