Enrollment
1,470
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Wausau, WI
West High
Federal NCES profile for West High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 551590002064
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 51
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin.
- #14 of 20
- public schools in Wausau · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 34.5%
- free-lunch eligible
West High has class sizes near the Wisconsin median. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West High ranks #14 of 20 public schools in Wausau, WI.
School address
District: Wausau School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 551590002064 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
99.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.5%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West High compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at West High
West High is a large high school in Wausau, Wisconsin, enrolling 1,470 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.5% lands close to the Wisconsin typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Wisconsin, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,470 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 68 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #12.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Asian (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 56/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 245 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 3 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Wausau's high schools, it stands alongside East High (893 students): West High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (14.8:1 vs 12.9:1).
Wausau School District also operates John Muir Middle (967 students) and East High (893 students) alongside West High.
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 High compares
West High on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.8:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.5% | ▼ 10% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,470 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,470
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 69% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,640
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 245 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
28
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 3 expulsions.
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 61.4%
Asian 23.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.0%
Two or More 4.2%
African American 2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 61.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.0, West High is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Wausau School District, which includes West High.
$14,640
Per student
-2%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.2%
State 51.1%
Federal 10.7%
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.
How West High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Muir Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East High | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Horace Mann Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| G D Jones Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverview Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 967
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 893
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 635
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 445
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar high schools in Wausau
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~1,470 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West High's federal record.
- Compare West High against another school. Compare schools
- Wausau 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 West High
How many students attend West High?
West High has 1,470 students enrolled. It is a high school in Wausau, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West High?
The student-teacher ratio at West High is 14.8:1, which is 3% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West High?
34.5% of students at West High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West High?
The largest demographic group at West High is White at 61.4% of enrollment, in Wausau, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West High?
West High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does West High rank among public schools in Wausau?
By Resource Investment Index, West High ranks #14 of 20 public schools in Wausau, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Wausau on the city page.
Is West High a good school?
West High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Wisconsin median. It is also one of the largest schools in Wisconsin. 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 Wausau School District?
Besides West High, Wausau School District also operates John Muir Middle (967 students), East High (893 students), and Horace Mann Middle (635 students). See the Wausau 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.