Enrollment
422
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Eau Claire, WI
Putnam Heights Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Putnam Heights Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 550405000433
👥 S:T ratio 47
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 72
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Putnam Heights Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #11 of 12
- elementary schools in Eau Claire · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.2:1
- students per teacher
- 29.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Putnam Heights Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Putnam Heights Elementary ranks #11 of 12 elementary schools in Eau Claire, WI.
School address
District: Eau Claire Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550405000433 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.6%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Putnam Heights Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Putnam Heights Elementary
Putnam Heights Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, enrolling 422 students.
At 13.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Wisconsin median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 29.6% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 422 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 564 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #358.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Asian (8%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 422 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Eau Claire's elementary schools, it stands alongside Robbins Elementary (522 students): Putnam Heights Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.2:1 vs 14.1:1).
Eau Claire Area School District also operates North High (1,567 students) and Memorial High (1,558 students) alongside Putnam Heights Elementary.
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 Putnam Heights Elementary compares
Putnam Heights Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.2:1 | ▼ 8% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.6% | ▼ 23% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 422 | top 30% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.2:1
Leaner classes than 65% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
422
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% 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
13.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 50% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
11.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,882
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 422 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 79.6%
Asian 7.6%
Two or More 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
African American 1.9%
Largest group: White at 79.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.4, Putnam Heights Elementary is about as mixed as the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Eau Claire Area School District, which includes Putnam Heights Elementary.
$13,882
Per student
-7%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Putnam Heights Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Memorial High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Delong Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northstar Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Putnam Heights Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,567
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,558
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 893
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 797
- Students per teacher
- 10.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 529
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Eau Claire
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Robbins Elementary
Standard public school
522 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Sherman Elementary
Standard public school
502 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Meadowview Elementary
Standard public school
385 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Manz Elementary
Standard public school
342 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Davey Elementary
Standard public school
332 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Lakeshore Elementary
Standard public school
314 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~422 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Putnam Heights Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Putnam Heights Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Eau Claire Area 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 Putnam Heights Elementary
How many students attend Putnam Heights Elementary?
Putnam Heights Elementary has 422 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Eau Claire, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Putnam Heights Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Putnam Heights Elementary is 13.2:1, which is 8% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 16% 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 Putnam Heights Elementary?
29.6% of students at Putnam Heights Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Putnam Heights Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Putnam Heights Elementary is White at 79.6% of enrollment, in Eau Claire, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Putnam Heights Elementary?
Putnam Heights Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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).
How does Putnam Heights Elementary rank among elementary schools in Eau Claire?
By Resource Investment Index, Putnam Heights Elementary ranks #11 of 12 elementary schools in Eau Claire, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Eau Claire on the city page.
Is Putnam Heights Elementary a good school?
Putnam Heights Elementary earns 41/100 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 Eau Claire Area School District?
Besides Putnam Heights Elementary, Eau Claire Area School District also operates North High (1,567 students), Memorial High (1,558 students), and Delong Middle (893 students). See the Eau Claire Area 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.