Enrollment
268
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Sparta, WI
Southside Early Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for Southside Early Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 551416001841
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 83
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southside Early Learning Center earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Wisconsin schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Sparta · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.7:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 47.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Southside Early Learning Center has class sizes smaller than 83% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Early Learning Center ranks #1 of 3 schools in Sparta, WI.
School address
District: Sparta Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551416001841 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.7:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.6%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southside Early Learning Center compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southside Early Learning Center
Southside Early Learning Center is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Sparta, Wisconsin, enrolling 268 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 47.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 268 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 328 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #53.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 46/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 255 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.7% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Sparta's public schools, it stands alongside Sparta Montessori School (161 students): Southside Early Learning Center is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.7:1 vs 20.1:1).
Sparta Area School District also operates Sparta High (871 students) and Sparta Meadowview Middle (687 students) alongside Southside Early Learning Center.
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 Southside Early Learning Center compares
Southside Early Learning Center on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.7:1 | ▼ 26% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.6% | ▲ 24% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 268 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.7:1
Leaner classes than 85% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
268
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
10.7:1
students per teacher
- 26% below state mean
Top 17% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
6.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,626
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
Counselors1.1 FTE
Per 255 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 69.8%
Hispanic or Latino 23.5%
Two or More 3.4%
Asian 2.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 69.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.6, Southside Early Learning Center is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sparta Area School District, which includes Southside Early Learning Center.
$14,626
Per student
-2%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.6%
State 59.0%
Federal 13.4%
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 Southside Early Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sparta Meadowview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Herrman Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sparta Montessori School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Innovations Stem Academy | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southside Early Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 871
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 687
- Students per teacher
- 9.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 161
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 90
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Sparta
2 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 (~268 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southside Early Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare Southside Early Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- Sparta 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 Southside Early Learning Center
How many students attend Southside Early Learning Center?
Southside Early Learning Center has 268 students enrolled. It is a public school in Sparta, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southside Early Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Southside Early Learning Center is 10.7:1, which is 26% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 32% 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 Southside Early Learning Center?
47.6% of students at Southside Early Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southside Early Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at Southside Early Learning Center is White at 69.8% of enrollment, in Sparta, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southside Early Learning Center?
Southside Early Learning Center 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 Southside Early Learning Center rank among schools in Sparta?
By Resource Investment Index, Southside Early Learning Center ranks #1 of 3 schools in Sparta, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Sparta on the city page.
Is Southside Early Learning Center a good school?
Southside Early Learning Center earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Sparta Area School District?
Besides Southside Early Learning Center, Sparta Area School District also operates Sparta High (871 students), Sparta Meadowview Middle (687 students), and Herrman Elementary (616 students). See the Sparta 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.