Enrollment
2,004
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Madison, WI
Vel Phillips Memorial High
Federal NCES profile for Vel Phillips Memorial High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 550852000937
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vel Phillips Memorial High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin.
- #6 of 7
- high schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.3:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 34.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Vel Phillips Memorial High has class sizes larger than 82% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vel Phillips Memorial High ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Madison, WI.
School address
District: Madison Metropolitan School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550852000937 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
123.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.8%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vel Phillips Memorial High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vel Phillips Memorial High
Vel Phillips Memorial High is a large high school in Madison, Wisconsin, enrolling 2,004 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.8% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wisconsin, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,004 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 32 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #18.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 21 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 304 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 46.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Madison's high schools, it stands alongside West High (2,222 students): Vel Phillips Memorial High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.3:1 vs 17.4:1).
Madison Metropolitan School District also operates West High (2,222 students) and East High (1,643 students) alongside Vel Phillips Memorial 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 Vel Phillips Memorial High compares
Vel Phillips Memorial 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 | 16.3:1 | ▲ 13% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.8% | ▼ 10% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,004 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,004
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 82% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
46.0%
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
$17,181
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors6.6 FTE
Per 304 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
84
in-school suspensions + 137 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.0 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 40.7%
Hispanic or Latino 26.5%
African American 15.4%
Two or More 8.8%
Asian 8.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 40.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.5, Vel Phillips Memorial High is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 21
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison Metropolitan School District, which includes Vel Phillips Memorial High.
$17,181
Per student
+15%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 72.6%
State 18.4%
Federal 9.0%
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.
How Vel Phillips Memorial High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lafollette High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hamilton Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cesar Chavez Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vel Phillips Memorial High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,222
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,643
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 1,541
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 790
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar high schools in Madison
6 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
West High
Standard public school
2,222 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
East High
Standard public school
1,643 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Lafollette High
Standard public school
1,541 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Innovative High
Alternative education program
138 students 8.1:1 students per teacher
Capital High
Alternative education program
129 students 7.2:1 students per teacher
Shabazz-City High
Alternative education program
106 students 8.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~2,004 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vel Phillips Memorial High's federal record.
- Compare Vel Phillips Memorial High against another school. Compare schools
- Madison Metropolitan 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 Vel Phillips Memorial High
How many students attend Vel Phillips Memorial High?
Vel Phillips Memorial High has 2,004 students enrolled. It is a high school in Madison, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vel Phillips Memorial High?
The student-teacher ratio at Vel Phillips Memorial High is 16.3:1, which is 13% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vel Phillips Memorial High?
34.8% of students at Vel Phillips Memorial High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vel Phillips Memorial High?
The largest demographic group at Vel Phillips Memorial High is White at 40.7% of enrollment, in Madison, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vel Phillips Memorial High?
Vel Phillips Memorial High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Vel Phillips Memorial High rank among high schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, Vel Phillips Memorial High ranks #6 of 7 high schools in Madison, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Madison on the city page.
Is Vel Phillips Memorial High a good school?
Vel Phillips Memorial High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin. 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 Madison Metropolitan School District?
Besides Vel Phillips Memorial High, Madison Metropolitan School District also operates West High (2,222 students), East High (1,643 students), and Lafollette High (1,541 students). See the Madison Metropolitan 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.