Enrollment
600
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Portage, WI
Portage High
Federal NCES profile for Portage High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 551206002284
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 60
📋 Attendance 18
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Portage High earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #5 of 7
- public schools in Portage · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.5:1
- students per teacher
- 26.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Portage High has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Portage High ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Portage, WI.
School address
District: Portage Community School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551206002284 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Portage High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Portage High
Portage High is a large combined-grade school in Portage, Wisconsin, enrolling 600 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 600 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 405 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #98.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 30/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 200 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Portage's public schools, it stands alongside Portage Partnering Preschool (129 students): Portage High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.5:1 vs 25.8:1).
Portage Community School District also operates Muir Elementary (439 students) and Wayne Bartels Middle (422 students) alongside Portage High.
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 Portage High compares
Portage High on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.5:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.8% | ▼ 30% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 600 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
600
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 39% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.8%
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.
Funding equity
$13,540
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 200 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
24
in-school suspensions + 78 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 82.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.0%
Two or More 3.8%
Asian 1.3%
African American 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 82.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.4, Portage High is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 5
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Portage Community School District, which includes Portage High.
$13,540
Per student
-9%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.2%
State 47.1%
Federal 10.7%
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 Portage High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muir Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wayne Bartels Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodridge Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Portage Partnering Preschool | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lewiston Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Portage High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 439
- Students per teacher
- 10.7:1
- Resource Index
- 71/100
- Enrollment
- 422
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 129
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 84
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 65/100
Similar other schools in Portage
1 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 (~600 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Portage High's federal record.
- Compare Portage High against another school. Compare schools
- Portage 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 Portage High
How many students attend Portage High?
Portage High has 600 students enrolled. It is a public school in Portage, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Portage High?
The student-teacher ratio at Portage High is 12.5:1, which is 13% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 20% 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 Portage High?
26.8% of students at Portage High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Portage High?
The largest demographic group at Portage High is White at 82.7% of enrollment, in Portage, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Portage High?
Portage High has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Portage High rank among public schools in Portage?
By Resource Investment Index, Portage High ranks #5 of 7 public schools in Portage, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Portage on the city page.
Is Portage High a good school?
Portage High earns 50/100 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 Portage Community School District?
Besides Portage High, Portage Community School District also operates Muir Elementary (439 students), Wayne Bartels Middle (422 students), and Woodridge Elementary (201 students). See the Portage 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.