Enrollment
65
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waseca, MN
Waseca Area Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for Waseca Area Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 274188001720
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waseca Area Learning Center earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Waseca · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 69.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Waseca Area Learning Center has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waseca Area Learning Center ranks #1 of 4 schools in Waseca, MN.
School address
District: Waseca Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 274188001720 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waseca Area Learning Center compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waseca Area Learning Center
Waseca Area Learning Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waseca, Minnesota, enrolling 65 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 69.1% of students qualify for free meals, 61% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 65 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 98 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #61.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 59/100).
Waseca Public School District also operates Waseca Senior High (555 students) and Hartley Elementary (429 students) alongside Waseca Area Learning Center.
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 Waseca Area Learning Center compares
Waseca Area Learning Center on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13:1 | ▼ 18% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.1% | ▲ 61% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 65 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
65
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 61% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 37% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$14,498
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.8 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 53.8%
Hispanic or Latino 32.3%
Two or More 10.8%
African American 3.1%
Largest group: White at 53.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.4, Waseca Area Learning Center is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waseca Public School District, which includes Waseca Area Learning Center.
$14,498
Per student
-5%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.5%
State 64.6%
Federal 10.8%
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 Waseca Area Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waseca Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hartley Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waseca Intermediate School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waseca Junior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waseca Early Childhood | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waseca Area Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 555
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 429
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 380
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 280
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 38
- Students per teacher
- 38:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other 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 (~65 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waseca Area Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare Waseca Area Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- Waseca Public 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 Waseca Area Learning Center
How many students attend Waseca Area Learning Center?
Waseca Area Learning Center has 65 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Waseca, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waseca Area Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Waseca Area Learning Center is 13:1, which is 18% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 17% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waseca Area Learning Center?
69.1% of students at Waseca Area Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waseca Area Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at Waseca Area Learning Center is White at 53.8% of enrollment, in Waseca, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waseca Area Learning Center?
Waseca Area Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Waseca Area Learning Center rank among schools in Waseca?
By Resource Investment Index, Waseca Area Learning Center ranks #1 of 4 schools in Waseca, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waseca on the city page.
Is Waseca Area Learning Center a good school?
Waseca Area Learning Center earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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 Waseca Public School District?
Besides Waseca Area Learning Center, Waseca Public School District also operates Waseca Senior High (555 students), Hartley Elementary (429 students), and Waseca Intermediate School (380 students). See the Waseca Public 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.