Enrollment
18
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Viroqua, WI
Vernon County Area Better Futures High
Federal NCES profile for Vernon County Area Better Futures High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 551536002513Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vernon County Area Better Futures High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Wisconsin.
- #1 of 3
- high schools in Viroqua · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 55.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Vernon County Area Better Futures High has class sizes larger than 89% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vernon County Area Better Futures High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Viroqua, WI.
School address
District: Viroqua Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551536002513 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
1.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
55.0%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+43% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vernon County Area Better Futures High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vernon County Area Better Futures High
Vernon County Area Better Futures High is a higher-need, small charter high school in Viroqua, Wisconsin, enrolling 18 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18:1 is larger than about 89% of Wisconsin schools and 25% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 55.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Wisconsin schools, with 18 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Its student body is predominantly White (100% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 0/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 16.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Viroqua's high schools, it stands alongside Viroqua High (301 students): Vernon County Area Better Futures High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18:1 vs 13.1:1).
Viroqua Area School District also operates Viroqua High (301 students) and Viroqua Elementary (276 students) alongside Vernon County Area Better Futures 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 Vernon County Area Better Futures High compares
Vernon County Area Better Futures 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 25% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 55.0% | ▲ 43% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 18 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
18
Bigger than 2% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
55.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 43% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 89% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$15,360
per pupil, district-wide
- above Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
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 100.0%
Largest group: White at 100.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 0.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 0.0, Vernon County Area Better Futures High is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Viroqua Area School District, which includes Vernon County Area Better Futures High.
$15,360
Per student
+3%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.7%
State 47.8%
Federal 16.5%
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 Vernon County Area Better Futures High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viroqua High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Viroqua Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Viroqua Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Viroqua Area Montessori School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laurel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vernon County Area Better Futures High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 301
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 276
- Students per teacher
- 9.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 253
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 147
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 43
- Students per teacher
- 43:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar high schools in Viroqua
2 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~18 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vernon County Area Better Futures High's federal record.
- Compare Vernon County Area Better Futures High against another school. Compare schools
- Viroqua 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 Vernon County Area Better Futures High
How many students attend Vernon County Area Better Futures High?
Vernon County Area Better Futures High has 18 students enrolled. It is a high school in Viroqua, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vernon County Area Better Futures High?
The student-teacher ratio at Vernon County Area Better Futures High is 18:1, which is 25% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Vernon County Area Better Futures High?
55.0% of students at Vernon County Area Better Futures High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vernon County Area Better Futures High?
The largest demographic group at Vernon County Area Better Futures High is White at 100.0% of enrollment, in Viroqua, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vernon County Area Better Futures High?
Vernon County Area Better Futures High has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Vernon County Area Better Futures High rank among high schools in Viroqua?
By Resource Investment Index, Vernon County Area Better Futures High ranks #1 of 3 high schools in Viroqua, 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 Viroqua on the city page.
Is Vernon County Area Better Futures High a good school?
Vernon County Area Better Futures High earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Wisconsin schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Viroqua Area School District?
Besides Vernon County Area Better Futures High, Viroqua Area School District also operates Viroqua High (301 students), Viroqua Elementary (276 students), and Viroqua Middle (253 students). See the Viroqua 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.