Enrollment
289
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Poplar, WI
Northwestern Middle
Federal NCES profile for Northwestern Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 550864000988
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 57
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northwestern Middle earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% of Wisconsin schools.
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 27.4%
- free-lunch eligible
- 289
- students enrolled
Northwestern Middle has class sizes larger than 74% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Maple School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550864000988 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
27.4%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northwestern Middle compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northwestern Middle
Northwestern Middle is a mid-sized middle school in Poplar, Wisconsin, enrolling 289 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 27.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 289 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 483 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #281.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment) (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 217 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Maple School District also operates Northwestern Elementary (515 students) and Northwestern High (372 students) alongside Northwestern Middle.
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 Northwestern Middle compares
Northwestern Middle on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 27.4% | ▼ 29% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 289 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
289
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
27.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 74% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 26% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,560
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 217 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 28 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.4 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 91.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.4%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 91.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.9, Northwestern Middle is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Maple School District, which includes Northwestern Middle.
$14,560
Per student
-2%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.3%
State 41.1%
Federal 11.6%
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.
How Northwestern Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Northwestern High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Iron River Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northwestern Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 515
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 372
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 95
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar middle 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 (~289 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northwestern Middle's federal record.
- Compare Northwestern Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Maple 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 Northwestern Middle
How many students attend Northwestern Middle?
Northwestern Middle has 289 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Poplar, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northwestern Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Northwestern Middle is 15.2:1, which is 6% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Northwestern Middle?
27.4% of students at Northwestern Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northwestern Middle?
The largest demographic group at Northwestern Middle is White at 91.0% of enrollment, in Poplar, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northwestern Middle?
Northwestern Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical 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).
Is Northwestern Middle a good school?
Northwestern Middle earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 74% 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 Maple School District?
Besides Northwestern Middle, Maple School District also operates Northwestern Elementary (515 students), Northwestern High (372 students), and Iron River Elementary (95 students). See the Maple 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.