Enrollment
200
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Appleton, WI
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter
Federal NCES profile for Stephen Foster Elementary Charter, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 550039002639Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Wisconsin schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Wisconsin schools.
- #9 of 20
- schools in Appleton · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 8.7:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 66.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter has class sizes smaller than 95% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Foster Elementary Charter ranks #9 of 20 schools in Appleton, WI.
School address
District: Appleton Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550039002639 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.7:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-40% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Stephen Foster Elementary Charter compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Stephen Foster Elementary Charter
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter is a higher-need, mid-sized charter combined-grade school in Appleton, Wisconsin, enrolling 200 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.7:1, Stephen Foster Elementary Charter is leaner than roughly 95% of Wisconsin schools and 40% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 66.8% of students qualify for free meals, 74% above the Wisconsin average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 200 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 100 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #52.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and Asian (18%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 333 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 45.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Appleton's public schools, it stands alongside Wisconsin Connections Academy (743 students): Stephen Foster Elementary Charter is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (8.7:1 vs 35.4:1).
Appleton Area School District also operates North High (1,635 students) and East High (1,238 students) alongside Stephen Foster Elementary Charter.
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 Stephen Foster Elementary Charter compares
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.7:1 | ▼ 40% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.8% | ▲ 74% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 200 | top 69% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.7:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
200
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 74% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
8.7:1
students per teacher
- 40% below state mean
Top 5% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
45.5%
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
$13,545
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
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 61.5%
Asian 17.5%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
Two or More 8.0%
African American 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 61.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Stephen Foster Elementary Charter is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Appleton Area School District, which includes Stephen Foster Elementary Charter.
$13,545
Per student
-9%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 48.8%
Federal 11.4%
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 Stephen Foster Elementary Charter Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| East High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Einstein Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Stephen Foster Elementary Charter's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,635
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Appleton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Wisconsin Connections Academy
Standard public school
743 students 35.4:1 students per teacher
Appleton Community 4k
Standard public school
672 students 21.7:1 students per teacher
Huntley Elementary
Standard public school
570 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Houdini Elementary
Standard public school
501 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Ferber Elementary
Standard public school
499 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
Highlands Elementary
Standard public school
417 students 9.9:1 students per teacher
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 (~200 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~8.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Stephen Foster Elementary Charter's federal record.
- Compare Stephen Foster Elementary Charter against another school. Compare schools
- Appleton 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 Stephen Foster Elementary Charter
How many students attend Stephen Foster Elementary Charter?
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter has 200 students enrolled. It is a public school in Appleton, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Stephen Foster Elementary Charter?
The student-teacher ratio at Stephen Foster Elementary Charter is 8.7:1, which is 40% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 45% 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 Stephen Foster Elementary Charter?
66.8% of students at Stephen Foster Elementary Charter are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Stephen Foster Elementary Charter?
The largest demographic group at Stephen Foster Elementary Charter is White at 61.5% of enrollment, in Appleton, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Stephen Foster Elementary Charter?
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 Stephen Foster Elementary Charter rank among schools in Appleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Stephen Foster Elementary Charter ranks #9 of 20 schools in Appleton, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Appleton on the city page.
Is Stephen Foster Elementary Charter a good school?
Stephen Foster Elementary Charter earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Wisconsin schools. 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 Appleton Area School District?
Besides Stephen Foster Elementary Charter, Appleton Area School District also operates North High (1,635 students), East High (1,238 students), and West High (1,024 students). See the Appleton 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.