Enrollment
260
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Beaver Dam, WI
Washington Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Washington Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 550096000129
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Washington Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Wisconsin schools.
- #7 of 8
- public schools in Beaver Dam · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 39.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Washington Elementary has class sizes larger than 75% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Beaver Dam, WI.
School address
District: Beaver Dam Unified School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550096000129 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.5%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Washington Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Washington Elementary
Washington Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, enrolling 260 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 39.5% of students eligible for free meals.
With 260 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 415 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #258.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 433 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Beaver Dam's elementary schools, it stands alongside Lincoln Elementary (201 students): Washington Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.3:1 vs 11.8:1).
Beaver Dam Unified School District also operates Beaver Dam High (1,031 students) and Beaver Dam Middle (633 students) alongside Washington Elementary.
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 Washington Elementary compares
Washington Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.3:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.5% | ▲ 3% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 260 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
260
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 75% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,490
per pupil, district-wide
- below Wisconsin avg of $14,919
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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 76.2%
Hispanic or Latino 15.0%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 1.5%
African American 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 76.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.2, Washington Elementary is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Beaver Dam Unified School District, which includes Washington Elementary.
$13,490
Per student
-10%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.1%
State 56.3%
Federal 10.5%
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 Washington Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Dam High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beaver Dam Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Prairie View Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jefferson Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Washington Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,031
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 633
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 328
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 201
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
Similar elementary schools in Beaver Dam
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~260 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Washington Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Washington Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Beaver Dam Unified 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 Washington Elementary
How many students attend Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has 260 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Beaver Dam, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Washington Elementary is 15.3:1, which is 6% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Washington Elementary?
39.5% of students at Washington Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Washington Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Washington Elementary is White at 76.2% of enrollment, in Beaver Dam, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Washington Elementary?
Washington Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Washington Elementary rank among public schools in Beaver Dam?
By Resource Investment Index, Washington Elementary ranks #7 of 8 public schools in Beaver Dam, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Beaver Dam on the city page.
Is Washington Elementary a good school?
Washington Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Wisconsin 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 Beaver Dam Unified School District?
Besides Washington Elementary, Beaver Dam Unified School District also operates Beaver Dam High (1,031 students), Beaver Dam Middle (633 students), and Prairie View Elementary (337 students). See the Beaver Dam Unified 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.