Enrollment
602
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 551584001203
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary — Waupaca, WI
Federal NCES profile for Waupaca Learning Center Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 53/100.
👥 Class size 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 57
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Waupaca School District · Wisconsin
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.6:1
vs 15.1:1 Wisconsin avg
-30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.9%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Waupaca Learning Center Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary reports 602 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 58.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 10.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 30% below the Wisconsin state mean of 15.1:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 33% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 37.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 2% below the Wisconsin average and 27% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 354 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 17.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Waupaca School District spends $15,990 per pupil district-wide, below the Wisconsin average of $18,610 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 45.4% from local sources (property taxes), 43.0% from the state, and 11.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Waupaca Learning Center Elementary compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Wisconsin state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.6:1 | ▼ 30% | 15.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.9% | ▼ 2% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 602 | top 86% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
37.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 2% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.6:1
students per teacher
— 30% below state mean
Top 13% in Wisconsin — lower ratio than 87% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$15,990
per pupil, district-wide
— below Wisconsin avg of $18,610
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.7 FTE
Per 354 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 602 Top 86% in Wisconsin — larger than 14% of 2,205 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 58.0
Students per teacher 10.6:1 -30% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 37.9% -2% vs state
NCES ID 551584001203
Student demographics
White 82.1%
Hispanic or Latino 10.6%
Two or More 5.0%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.7
Students per counselor 354:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 17.3%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waupaca School District, which includes Waupaca Learning Center Elementary.
$15,990
Per student
-14%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $18,610
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 45.4%
State 43.0%
Federal 11.6%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Enrollment
- 546
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
- Enrollment
- 139
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Enrollment
- 133
- Students per teacher
- 26:1
Similar other schools in Waupaca
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Waupaca Learning Center Elementary
How many students attend Waupaca Learning Center Elementary?
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary has 602 students enrolled. It is a other school in Waupaca, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Waupaca Learning Center Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Waupaca Learning Center Elementary is 10.6:1, which is 30% lower than the Wisconsin average of 15.1:1 and 33% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Waupaca Learning Center Elementary?
37.9% of students at Waupaca Learning Center Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Waupaca Learning Center Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Waupaca Learning Center Elementary is White at 82.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Waupaca, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waupaca Learning Center Elementary?
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.