Enrollment
248
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 550405000423
Prairie Ridge Early Learning School — Eau Claire, WI
Federal NCES profile for Prairie Ridge Early Learning School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 50
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Eau Claire Area School District · Wisconsin
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 15.1:1 Wisconsin avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.2%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Prairie Ridge Early Learning School compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Prairie Ridge Early Learning School reports 248 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 2% below the Wisconsin state mean of 15.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 7% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 54.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 41% above the Wisconsin average and 5% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 248 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Eau Claire Area School District spends $15,744 per pupil district-wide, below the Wisconsin average of $18,610 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 40.5% from local sources (property taxes), 47.5% from the state, and 12.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 3 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Prairie Ridge Early Learning School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Wisconsin state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▼ 2% | 15.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.2% | ▲ 41% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 248 | top 39% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
54.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 41% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
— 2% below state mean
Top 69% in Wisconsin — lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$15,744
per pupil, district-wide
— below Wisconsin avg of $18,610
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 248 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 248 Top 39% in Wisconsin — larger than 61% of 2,205 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 14.8:1 -2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 54.2% +41% vs state
NCES ID 550405000423
Student demographics
White 54.0%
Asian 21.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.7%
Two or More 9.3%
African American 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Largest group: White at 54.0% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 248:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Eau Claire Area School District, which includes Prairie Ridge Early Learning School.
$15,744
Per student
-15%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $18,610
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 40.5%
State 47.5%
Federal 12.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,567
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,558
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Enrollment
- 893
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
Similar other schools in Eau Claire
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Eau Claire Community Sites
Standard public school
435 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Chippewa Valley Montessori Charter School
Standard public school
301 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Eau Claire Virtual School
Standard public school
147 students 9.5:1 students per teacher
Mckinley Charter School
Alternative education program
74 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Second Avenue School
Alternative education program
16 students
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Prairie Ridge Early Learning School
How many students attend Prairie Ridge Early Learning School?
Prairie Ridge Early Learning School has 248 students enrolled. It is a other school in Eau Claire, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Prairie Ridge Early Learning School?
The student-teacher ratio at Prairie Ridge Early Learning School is 14.8:1, which is 2% lower than the Wisconsin average of 15.1:1 and 7% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Prairie Ridge Early Learning School?
54.2% of students at Prairie Ridge Early Learning School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Prairie Ridge Early Learning School?
The largest demographic group at Prairie Ridge Early Learning School is White at 54.0%. The school serves a diverse student body in Eau Claire, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Prairie Ridge Early Learning School?
Prairie Ridge Early Learning School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.