Enrollment
159
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Wadena, MN
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade
Federal NCES profile for Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270002204587
👥 S:T ratio 9
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 68
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Minnesota schools.
- #5 of 8
- public schools in Wadena · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 22.7:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 44.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade has class sizes larger than 89% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Wadena, MN.
School address
District: Wadena-Deer Creek School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270002204587 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.7:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade is a mid-sized elementary school in Wadena, Minnesota, enrolling 159 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.7:1 is larger than about 89% of Minnesota schools and 44% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 44.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 159 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 175 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #89.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 159 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 7 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Wadena-Deer Creek School District also operates Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High (470 students) and Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary (450 students) alongside Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade.
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 Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade compares
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22.7:1 | ▲ 44% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.7% | ▲ 4% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 159 | top 61% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.7:1
Leaner classes than 9% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
159
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
22.7:1
students per teacher
- 44% above state mean
Top 89% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
20.8%
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
$14,549
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 159 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 7 expulsions.
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 85.5%
Two or More 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 85.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.2, Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wadena-Deer Creek School District, which includes Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade.
$14,549
Per student
-5%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.1%
State 66.9%
Federal 15.1%
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 Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 450
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~159 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade's federal record.
- Compare Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade against another school. Compare schools
- Wadena-Deer Creek 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 Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade
How many students attend Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade?
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade has 159 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Wadena, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade?
The student-teacher ratio at Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade is 22.7:1, which is 44% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 45% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade?
44.7% of students at Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade?
The largest demographic group at Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade is White at 85.5% of enrollment, in Wadena, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade?
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade rank among public schools in Wadena?
By Resource Investment Index, Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade ranks #5 of 8 public schools in Wadena, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Wadena on the city page.
Is Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade a good school?
Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of Minnesota 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 Wadena-Deer Creek School District?
Besides Wadena-Deer Creek 5th and 6th Grade, Wadena-Deer Creek School District also operates Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High (470 students) and Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary (450 students). See the Wadena-Deer Creek 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.