Enrollment
2,259
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Medford, WI
Rural Virtual Academy
Federal NCES profile for Rural Virtual Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550894002598Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rural Virtual Academy earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Medford · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 29:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 31.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Rural Virtual Academy has class sizes larger than 97% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rural Virtual Academy ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Medford, WI.
School address
District: Medford Area Public School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550894002598 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
78.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
29:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+101% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
31.1%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rural Virtual Academy compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rural Virtual Academy
Rural Virtual Academy is a large charter combined-grade school in Medford, Wisconsin, enrolling 2,259 students.
Class loads run heavy: 29:1 is larger than about 97% of Wisconsin schools and 101% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 31.1% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wisconsin, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,259 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 95% of the 2,202 Wisconsin schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 21 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #20, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 27/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 2259 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Among Medford's public schools, it stands alongside Medford Elementary (587 students): Rural Virtual Academy is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (29:1 vs 14:1).
Medford Area Public School District also operates Medford High (667 students) and Medford Elementary (587 students) alongside Rural Virtual Academy.
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 Rural Virtual Academy compares
Rural Virtual 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 | 29:1 | ▲ 101% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 31.1% | ▼ 19% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,259 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
29:1
Leaner classes than 2% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
2,259
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
31.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
29:1
students per teacher
- 101% above state mean
Top 97% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$12,253
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 2259 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
- 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 84.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.1%
Two or More 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
African American 1.2%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 84.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 27.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 27.3, Rural Virtual Academy is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Medford Area Public School District, which includes Rural Virtual Academy.
$12,253
Per student
-18%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.3%
State 45.1%
Federal 10.6%
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 Rural Virtual Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medford High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Medford Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Medford Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Stetsonville Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rural Virtual Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 587
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 11.3:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 203
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
Similar other schools in Medford
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 (~2,259 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rural Virtual Academy's federal record.
- Compare Rural Virtual Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Medford Area Public 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 Rural Virtual Academy
How many students attend Rural Virtual Academy?
Rural Virtual Academy has 2,259 students enrolled. It is a public school in Medford, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rural Virtual Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Rural Virtual Academy is 29:1, which is 101% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 85% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rural Virtual Academy?
31.1% of students at Rural Virtual Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rural Virtual Academy?
The largest demographic group at Rural Virtual Academy is White at 84.8% of enrollment, in Medford, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rural Virtual Academy?
Rural Virtual Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rural Virtual Academy rank among public schools in Medford?
By Resource Investment Index, Rural Virtual Academy ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Medford, 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 Medford on the city page.
Is Rural Virtual Academy a good school?
Rural Virtual Academy earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin. 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 Medford Area Public School District?
Besides Rural Virtual Academy, Medford Area Public School District also operates Medford High (667 students), Medford Elementary (587 students), and Medford Middle (566 students). See the Medford Area Public 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.