Enrollment
153
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Shell Lake, WI
Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)
Federal NCES profile for Shell Lake Elementary (3-6), including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 551371001804
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Wisconsin schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Shell Lake · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.6:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 39.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) has class sizes smaller than 91% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Shell Lake, WI.
School address
District: Shell Lake School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551371001804 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.3%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)
Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) is a mid-sized elementary school in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, enrolling 153 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.6:1, Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) is leaner than roughly 91% of Wisconsin schools and 33% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 39.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 153 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 261 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #41.
Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 306 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Shell Lake School District also operates Shell Lake Junior/Senior High (300 students) and Shell Lake Primary (K-2) (131 students) alongside Shell Lake Elementary (3-6).
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 Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) compares
Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.6:1 | ▼ 33% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.3% | ▲ 2% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 153 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.6:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
153
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
9.6:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 9% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 91% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
20.3%
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
$14,667
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.5 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 91.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.0%
Two or More 2.0%
Largest group: White at 91.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.0, Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shell Lake School District, which includes Shell Lake Elementary (3-6).
$14,667
Per student
-2%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 56.1%
State 32.9%
Federal 10.9%
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 Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shell Lake Junior/Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shell Lake Primary (K-2) | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)'s own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 131
- Students per teacher
- 9.4:1
- Resource Index
- 66/100
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 (~153 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)'s federal record.
- Compare Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) against another school. Compare schools
- Shell Lake 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 Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)
How many students attend Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)?
Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) has 153 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Shell Lake, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)?
The student-teacher ratio at Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) is 9.6:1, which is 33% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 39% 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 Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)?
39.3% of students at Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)?
The largest demographic group at Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) is White at 91.5% of enrollment, in Shell Lake, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shell Lake Elementary (3-6)?
Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (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 Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) rank among public schools in Shell Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Shell Lake, 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 Shell Lake on the city page.
Is Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) a good school?
Shell Lake Elementary (3-6) earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 91% of Wisconsin schools. 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 Shell Lake School District?
Besides Shell Lake Elementary (3-6), Shell Lake School District also operates Shell Lake Junior/Senior High (300 students) and Shell Lake Primary (K-2) (131 students). See the Shell Lake 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.