Enrollment
121
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Milwaukee, WI
Penfield Montessori Academy
Federal NCES profile for Penfield Montessori Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550007803048Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 66
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 3
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Penfield Montessori Academy earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Wisconsin schools.
- #60 of 135
- schools in Milwaukee · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.6:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 53.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Penfield Montessori Academy has class sizes smaller than 95% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Penfield Montessori Academy ranks #60 of 135 schools in Milwaukee, WI.
School address
District: Penfield Montessori Academy Inc. · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550007803048 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.7%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Penfield Montessori Academy compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Penfield Montessori Academy
Penfield Montessori Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, enrolling 121 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.6:1, Penfield Montessori Academy is leaner than roughly 95% of Wisconsin schools and 40% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 121 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 115 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #87, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Milwaukee's public schools, it stands alongside Hapa-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12 (1,974 students): Penfield Montessori Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.6:1 vs 30.8:1).
Penfield Montessori Academy Inc. is a single-school charter district, so Penfield Montessori Academy operates independently rather than alongside district-mates.
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 Penfield Montessori Academy compares
Penfield Montessori Academy on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.6:1 | ▼ 40% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.7% | ▲ 39% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 121 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.6:1
Leaner classes than 94% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
121
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
8.6:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 5% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.8%
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.
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.
Similar other schools in Milwaukee
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hapa-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12
Standard public school
1,974 students 30.8:1 students per teacher
Milwaukee Academy of Science
Standard public school
1,711 students 24.8:1 students per teacher
Bruce Guadalupe
Standard public school
1,364 students 15:1 students per teacher
Obama School of Career and Technical Education
Standard public school
1,294 students 27.5:1 students per teacher
Golda Meir School
Standard public school
1,192 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Milwaukee School of Languages
Standard public school
964 students 14.2:1 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 (~121 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Penfield Montessori Academy's federal record.
- Compare Penfield Montessori Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Penfield Montessori Academy Inc.'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 Penfield Montessori Academy
How many students attend Penfield Montessori Academy?
Penfield Montessori Academy has 121 students enrolled. It is a public school in Milwaukee, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Penfield Montessori Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Penfield Montessori Academy is 8.6:1, which is 40% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 45% 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 Penfield Montessori Academy?
53.7% of students at Penfield Montessori Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Penfield Montessori Academy?
Penfield Montessori Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical 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 Penfield Montessori Academy rank among schools in Milwaukee?
By Resource Investment Index, Penfield Montessori Academy ranks #60 of 135 schools in Milwaukee, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Milwaukee on the city page.
Is Penfield Montessori Academy a good school?
Penfield Montessori Academy earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% 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 Penfield Montessori Academy Inc.?
None; Penfield Montessori Academy Inc. is a single-school charter district, and Penfield Montessori Academy is its only campus.
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.