Enrollment
920
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · South Milwaukee, WI
South Milwaukee High
Federal NCES profile for South Milwaukee High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 551404001832
👥 S:T ratio 50
📚 AP courses 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Milwaukee High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Wisconsin schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in South Milwaukee · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 43.6%
- free-lunch eligible
South Milwaukee High has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Milwaukee High ranks #6 of 6 public schools in South Milwaukee, WI.
School address
District: South Milwaukee School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551404001832 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
73.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.6%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Milwaukee High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Milwaukee High
South Milwaukee High is a large high school in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, enrolling 920 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 43.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wisconsin, bigger than 94% of state schools at 920 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 113 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #92, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 60/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 14 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 230 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
South Milwaukee School District also operates South Milwaukee Middle (610 students) and Rawson Elementary (371 students) alongside South Milwaukee High.
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 South Milwaukee High compares
South Milwaukee High 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 | 43.6% | ▲ 13% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 920 | top 6% | - | - |
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.
920
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
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
42.4%
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
$14,416
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 230 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
61
in-school suspensions + 69 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 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 56.2%
Hispanic or Latino 27.4%
African American 7.9%
Two or More 7.2%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 56.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, South Milwaukee High is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 14
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Milwaukee School District, which includes South Milwaukee High.
$14,416
Per student
-3%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.4%
State 52.8%
Federal 12.8%
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 South Milwaukee High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Milwaukee Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rawson Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blakewood Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeview Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| E W Luther Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Milwaukee High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 610
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 371
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 314
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 274
- Students per teacher
- 11:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 197
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
Similar high 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 (~920 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Milwaukee High's federal record.
- Compare South Milwaukee High against another school. Compare schools
- South Milwaukee 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 South Milwaukee High
How many students attend South Milwaukee High?
South Milwaukee High has 920 students enrolled. It is a high school in South Milwaukee, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Milwaukee High?
The student-teacher ratio at South Milwaukee High 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 South Milwaukee High?
43.6% of students at South Milwaukee High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Milwaukee High?
The largest demographic group at South Milwaukee High is White at 56.2% of enrollment, in South Milwaukee, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Milwaukee High?
South Milwaukee High has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does South Milwaukee High rank among public schools in South Milwaukee?
By Resource Investment Index, South Milwaukee High ranks #6 of 6 public schools in South Milwaukee, 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 South Milwaukee on the city page.
Is South Milwaukee High a good school?
South Milwaukee High earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 South Milwaukee School District?
Besides South Milwaukee High, South Milwaukee School District also operates South Milwaukee Middle (610 students), Rawson Elementary (371 students), and Blakewood Elementary (314 students). See the South Milwaukee 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.