Enrollment
353
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 550960001255
Thoreau Elementary — Milwaukee, WI
Federal NCES profile for Thoreau Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 34/100.
👥 Class size 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 0
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Milwaukee School District · Wisconsin
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 15.1:1 Wisconsin avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
99.4%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+158% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thoreau Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Thoreau Elementary reports 353 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 22.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 6% above the Wisconsin state mean of 15.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 1% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 99.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 158% above the Wisconsin average and 92% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 353 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 79.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Milwaukee School District spends $19,598 per pupil district-wide, above the Wisconsin average of $18,610 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 27.3% from local sources (property taxes), 57.7% from the state, and 15.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Thoreau Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Wisconsin state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 99.4% | ▲ 158% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 353 | top 60% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
99.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 158% 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
16:1
students per teacher
— 6% above state mean
Top 81% in Wisconsin — lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
79.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$19,598
per pupil, district-wide
— above Wisconsin avg of $18,610
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 353 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 54 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 353 Top 60% in Wisconsin — larger than 40% of 2,205 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 22.0
Students per teacher 16:1 +6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 99.4% +158% vs state
NCES ID 550960001255
Student demographics
African American 85.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 2.5%
White 2.3%
Largest group: African American at 85.8% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 353:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 79.3%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 54
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Milwaukee School District, which includes Thoreau Elementary.
$19,598
Per student
+5%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $18,610
+1%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 27.3%
State 57.7%
Federal 15.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,974
- Students per teacher
- 28.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,372
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Enrollment
- 1,308
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Enrollment
- 1,294
- Students per teacher
- 29.8:1
Similar other schools in Milwaukee
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hapa-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12
Standard public school
1,974 students 28.6:1 students per teacher
Milwaukee Academy of Science
Standard public school
1,711 students 20.3:1 students per teacher
Bruce Guadalupe
Standard public school
1,364 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Obama School of Career and Technical Education
Standard public school
1,294 students 29.8:1 students per teacher
Golda Meir School
Standard public school
1,192 students 19.6:1 students per teacher
Milwaukee School of Languages
Standard public school
964 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Thoreau Elementary
How many students attend Thoreau Elementary?
Thoreau Elementary has 353 students enrolled. It is a other school in Milwaukee, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thoreau Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Thoreau Elementary is 16:1, which is 6% higher than the Wisconsin average of 15.1:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Thoreau Elementary?
99.4% of students at Thoreau Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thoreau Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Thoreau Elementary is African American at 85.8%. The school serves a diverse student body in Milwaukee, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thoreau Elementary?
Thoreau Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.