Enrollment
531
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waunakee, WI
Waunakee Prairie Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Waunakee Prairie Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 551581001198
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waunakee Prairie Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Waunakee · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 6.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Waunakee Prairie Elementary has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waunakee Prairie Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Waunakee, WI.
School address
District: Waunakee Community School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551581001198 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
6.0%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waunakee Prairie Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Waunakee Prairie Elementary
Waunakee Prairie Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waunakee, Wisconsin, enrolling 531 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 6.0% free-meal eligibility runs 84% below the Wisconsin average.
Enrollment of 531 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 223 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #133.
Its student body is predominantly White (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 531 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Waunakee's public schools, it stands alongside Waunakee Heritage Elementary (537 students): Waunakee Prairie Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (12.3:1 vs 11.9:1).
Waunakee Community School District also operates Waunakee High (1,335 students) and Waunakee Middle (667 students) alongside Waunakee Prairie 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 Waunakee Prairie Elementary compares
Waunakee Prairie 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 | 12.3:1 | ▼ 15% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 6.0% | ▼ 84% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 531 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
531
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
6.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 37% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
15.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,753
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 531 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 82.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Two or More 5.1%
Asian 3.6%
African American 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.5, Waunakee Prairie Elementary is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waunakee Community School District, which includes Waunakee Prairie Elementary.
$13,753
Per student
-8%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 58.9%
State 37.5%
Federal 3.6%
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 Waunakee Prairie Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waunakee High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waunakee Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waunakee Intermediate | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waunakee Heritage Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Arboretum Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waunakee Prairie Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,335
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 661
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 537
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 435
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Waunakee
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~531 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waunakee Prairie Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Waunakee Prairie Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Waunakee Community 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 Waunakee Prairie Elementary
How many students attend Waunakee Prairie Elementary?
Waunakee Prairie Elementary has 531 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waunakee, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waunakee Prairie Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Waunakee Prairie Elementary is 12.3:1, which is 15% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 22% 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 Waunakee Prairie Elementary?
6.0% of students at Waunakee Prairie Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waunakee Prairie Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Waunakee Prairie Elementary is White at 82.9% of enrollment, in Waunakee, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waunakee Prairie Elementary?
Waunakee Prairie Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Waunakee Prairie Elementary rank among schools in Waunakee?
By Resource Investment Index, Waunakee Prairie Elementary ranks #1 of 4 schools in Waunakee, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waunakee on the city page.
Is Waunakee Prairie Elementary a good school?
Waunakee Prairie Elementary earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin 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 Waunakee Community School District?
Besides Waunakee Prairie Elementary, Waunakee Community School District also operates Waunakee High (1,335 students), Waunakee Middle (667 students), and Waunakee Intermediate (661 students). See the Waunakee Community 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.