Enrollment
1,342
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 274216002654
Wayzata Central Middle — Plymouth, MN
Federal NCES profile for Wayzata Central Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
👥 Class size 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 47
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: Wayzata Public School District · Minnesota
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)
82.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
11.2%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-74% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wayzata Central Middle compares with Minnesota 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
Wayzata Central Middle reports 1,342 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 82.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 18.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 15% above the Minnesota state mean of 15.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 15% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 11.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 74% below the Minnesota average and 78% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 447 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 21.1% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Wayzata Public School District spends $17,753 per pupil district-wide, below the Minnesota average of $21,113 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 44.6% from local sources (property taxes), 48.8% from the state, and 6.7% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F), 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 Wayzata Central Middle compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Minnesota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.3:1 | ▲ 15% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 11.2% | ▼ 74% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 1,342 | top 97% | — | — |
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
11.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 74% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18.3:1
students per teacher
— 15% above state mean
Top 78% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,753
per pupil, district-wide
— below Minnesota avg of $21,113
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 447 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 1,342 Top 97% in Minnesota — larger than 3% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 82.0
Students per teacher 18.3:1 +15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 11.2% -74% vs state
NCES ID 274216002654
Student demographics
White 50.9%
Asian 29.2%
African American 8.7%
Two or More 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 50.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 3.0
Students per counselor 447:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 21.1%
In-school suspensions 48
Out-of-school suspensions 23
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wayzata Public School District, which includes Wayzata Central Middle.
$17,753
Per student
-16%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
-9%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 44.6%
State 48.8%
Federal 6.7%
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
- 3,781
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Enrollment
- 836
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Enrollment
- 817
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 775
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
Similar middle schools in Plymouth
4 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Wayzata East Middle
Standard public school
817 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Plymouth Middle
Standard public school
749 students 29.9:1 students per teacher
East Middle Alternative (Emap)
Alternative education program
39 students
Central Middle Alternative (Cmap)
Alternative education program
29 students
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 Wayzata Central Middle
How many students attend Wayzata Central Middle?
Wayzata Central Middle has 1,342 students enrolled. It is a middle school in PLYMOUTH, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wayzata Central Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Wayzata Central Middle is 18.3:1, which is 15% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wayzata Central Middle?
11.2% of students at Wayzata Central Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wayzata Central Middle?
The largest demographic group at Wayzata Central Middle is White at 50.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in PLYMOUTH, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wayzata Central Middle?
Wayzata Central Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) 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.