Enrollment
21
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Melrose, MN
West Central Area Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for West Central Area Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 279145502388
👥 S:T ratio 72
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Central Area Learning Center earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Minnesota schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Melrose · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 69.7%
- free-lunch eligible
West Central Area Learning Center has class sizes smaller than 90% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Central Area Learning Center ranks #1 of 3 schools in Melrose, MN.
School address
District: West Central Education District · Minnesota
NCES ID 279145502388 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-56% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
69.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Central Area Learning Center compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Central Area Learning Center
West Central Area Learning Center is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Melrose, Minnesota, enrolling 21 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7:1, West Central Area Learning Center is leaner than roughly 90% of Minnesota schools and 56% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 69.7% of students qualify for free meals, 63% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 21 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 75 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #28.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Hispanic or Latino (29%) (diversity index 47/100).
Its district draws 31.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
West Central Education District also operates West Central Education District B-2 (50 students) and Beacon Program W Central Ed. Dist. (10 students) alongside West Central Area Learning Center.
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 West Central Area Learning Center compares
West Central Area Learning Center on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7:1 | ▼ 56% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 69.7% | ▲ 63% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 21 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7:1
Leaner classes than 97% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
21
Bigger than 3% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
69.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
7:1
students per teacher
- 56% below state mean
Top 10% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 66.7%
Hispanic or Latino 28.6%
Two or More 4.8%
Largest group: White at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.1, West Central Area Learning Center is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
How West Central Area Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Central Education District B-2 | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Beacon Program W Central Ed. Dist. | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Central Area Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 50
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 10
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~21 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Central Area Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare West Central Area Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- West Central Education 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 West Central Area Learning Center
How many students attend West Central Area Learning Center?
West Central Area Learning Center has 21 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Melrose, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Central Area Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at West Central Area Learning Center is 7:1, which is 56% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 55% 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 West Central Area Learning Center?
69.7% of students at West Central Area Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Central Area Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at West Central Area Learning Center is White at 66.7% of enrollment, in Melrose, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Central Area Learning Center?
West Central Area Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does West Central Area Learning Center rank among schools in Melrose?
By Resource Investment Index, West Central Area Learning Center ranks #1 of 3 schools in Melrose, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Melrose on the city page.
Is West Central Area Learning Center a good school?
West Central Area Learning Center earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Minnesota 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 West Central Education District?
Besides West Central Area Learning Center, West Central Education District also operates West Central Education District B-2 (50 students) and Beacon Program W Central Ed. Dist. (10 students). See the West Central Education 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.