Enrollment
602
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waupaca, WI
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Waupaca Learning Center Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 54/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 551584001203
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Wisconsin schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Waupaca · Resource Index
- 54
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.4:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 37.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary has class sizes smaller than 85% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Waupaca Learning Center Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Waupaca, WI.
School address
District: Waupaca School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551584001203 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-28% 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
What stands out at Waupaca Learning Center Elementary
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary is a large combined-grade school in Waupaca, Wisconsin, enrolling 602 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.4:1, Waupaca Learning Center Elementary is leaner than roughly 85% of Wisconsin schools and 28% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 37.9% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 602 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Among 331 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #25, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 354 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Waupaca's public schools, it stands alongside Chain Exploration Center (139 students): Waupaca Learning Center Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.4:1 vs 12.6:1).
Waupaca School District also operates Waupaca High (623 students) and Waupaca Middle (546 students) alongside Waupaca Learning Center 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 Waupaca Learning Center Elementary compares
Waupaca Learning Center 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 | 10.4:1 | ▼ 28% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.9% | ▼ 2% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 602 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.4:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
602
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
10.4:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 15% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,609
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
Counselors1.7 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
- 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 82.1%
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.
Student-body diversity index 31.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.2, Waupaca Learning Center Elementary is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Waupaca School District, which includes Waupaca Learning Center Elementary.
$14,609
Per student
-2%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
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.
How Waupaca Learning Center Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waupaca High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waupaca Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chain Exploration Center | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waupaca Community 4-Year Old Kindergarten | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Waupaca Learning Center Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 546
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 139
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 133
- Students per teacher
- 26.6:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
Similar other schools in Waupaca
2 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 (~602 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Waupaca Learning Center Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Waupaca Learning Center Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Waupaca 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 Waupaca Learning Center Elementary
How many students attend Waupaca Learning Center Elementary?
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary has 602 students enrolled. It is a public 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 10.4:1, which is 28% lower than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 34% 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 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% of enrollment, in Waupaca, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Waupaca Learning Center Elementary?
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (higher 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 Waupaca Learning Center Elementary rank among schools in Waupaca?
By Resource Investment Index, Waupaca Learning Center Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Waupaca, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Waupaca on the city page.
Is Waupaca Learning Center Elementary a good school?
Waupaca Learning Center Elementary earns 54/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Waupaca School District?
Besides Waupaca Learning Center Elementary, Waupaca School District also operates Waupaca High (623 students), Waupaca Middle (546 students), and Chain Exploration Center (139 students). See the Waupaca 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.