Enrollment
616
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Watertown, WI
Riverside Middle
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 551575002000
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside Middle earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #6 of 10
- public schools in Watertown · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 38.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside Middle has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Middle ranks #6 of 10 public schools in Watertown, WI.
School address
District: Watertown Unified School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551575002000 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
38.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Middle compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside Middle
Riverside Middle is a large middle school in Watertown, Wisconsin, enrolling 616 students.
At 12.6:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 38.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 616 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 312 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #51.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (23%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 308 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 22.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 143 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 616 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Watertown Unified School District also operates Watertown High (1,012 students) and Webster Elementary (381 students) alongside Riverside 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 Riverside Middle compares
Riverside 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 38.8% | ▲ 1% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 616 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
616
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
38.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 41% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
22.6%
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
$14,383
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 308 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
65
in-school suspensions + 78 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 23.2 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 68.0%
Hispanic or Latino 23.4%
Two or More 5.5%
African American 1.9%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 68.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.9, Riverside Middle is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Watertown Unified School District, which includes Riverside Middle.
$14,383
Per student
-4%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 49.2%
Federal 11.0%
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 Riverside Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watertown High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Douglas Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Schurz Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Watertown 4 Kids | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,012
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 381
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
- Enrollment
- 311
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 223
- Students per teacher
- 10.1:1
- Resource Index
- 60/100
- Enrollment
- 155
- Students per teacher
- 25.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~616 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside Middle's federal record.
- Compare Riverside Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Watertown Unified 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 Riverside Middle
How many students attend Riverside Middle?
Riverside Middle has 616 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Watertown, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside Middle is 12.6:1, 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 Riverside Middle?
38.8% of students at Riverside Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Middle?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Middle is White at 68.0% of enrollment, in Watertown, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Middle?
Riverside Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Riverside Middle rank among public schools in Watertown?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Middle ranks #6 of 10 public schools in Watertown, 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 Watertown on the city page.
Is Riverside Middle a good school?
Riverside Middle 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 Watertown Unified School District?
Besides Riverside Middle, Watertown Unified School District also operates Watertown High (1,012 students), Webster Elementary (381 students), and Douglas Elementary (311 students). See the Watertown Unified 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.