Enrollment
469
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Wahpeton, ND
Wahpeton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Wahpeton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 381902000660
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wahpeton Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of North Dakota schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Wahpeton · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- large classes for North Dakota
- 32.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Wahpeton Elementary School has class sizes larger than 94% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wahpeton Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Wahpeton, ND.
School address
District: Wahpeton 37 · North Dakota
NCES ID 381902000660 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+53% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.1%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wahpeton Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wahpeton Elementary School
Wahpeton Elementary School is a large elementary school in Wahpeton, North Dakota, enrolling 469 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18:1 is larger than about 94% of North Dakota schools and 53% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 32.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 469 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Against 58 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #38.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Hispanic or Latino (9%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 293 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
16.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 19.9% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Wahpeton 37 also operates Wahpeton High School (364 students) and Wahpeton Middle School (272 students) alongside Wahpeton Elementary School.
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 Wahpeton Elementary School compares
Wahpeton Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18:1 | ▲ 53% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.1% | ▲ 14% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 469 | top 13% | - | - |
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.
469
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% above the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 53% above state mean
Top 94% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$15,498
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.6 FTE
Per 293 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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 73.8%
Hispanic or Latino 9.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 7.5%
Two or More 6.4%
African American 1.5%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 73.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 43.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 43.6, Wahpeton Elementary School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wahpeton 37, which includes Wahpeton Elementary School.
$15,498
Per student
-16%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.3%
State 51.7%
Federal 19.9%
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 Wahpeton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wahpeton High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wahpeton Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Zimmerman Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wahpeton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 272
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 116
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~469 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wahpeton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Wahpeton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Wahpeton 37'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 Wahpeton Elementary School
How many students attend Wahpeton Elementary School?
Wahpeton Elementary School has 469 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Wahpeton, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wahpeton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wahpeton Elementary School is 18:1, which is 53% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wahpeton Elementary School?
32.1% of students at Wahpeton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wahpeton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Wahpeton Elementary School is White at 73.8% of enrollment, in Wahpeton, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wahpeton Elementary School?
Wahpeton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Wahpeton Elementary School rank among public schools in Wahpeton?
By Resource Investment Index, Wahpeton Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Wahpeton, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Wahpeton on the city page.
Is Wahpeton Elementary School a good school?
Wahpeton Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of North Dakota 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 Wahpeton 37?
Besides Wahpeton Elementary School, Wahpeton 37 also operates Wahpeton High School (364 students), Wahpeton Middle School (272 students), and Zimmerman Elementary School (116 students). See the Wahpeton 37 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.