Enrollment
278
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Hudson, WI
Willow River Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Willow River Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 550669002332
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Willow River Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Wisconsin schools.
- #2 of 4
- elementary schools in Hudson · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.3:1
- small classes for Wisconsin
- 13.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Willow River Elementary has class sizes smaller than 86% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Willow River Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Hudson, WI.
School address
District: Hudson School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550669002332 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.7%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Willow River Elementary compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Willow River Elementary
Willow River Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Hudson, Wisconsin, enrolling 278 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.3:1, Willow River Elementary is leaner than roughly 86% of Wisconsin schools and 28% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.7% free-meal eligibility runs 64% below the Wisconsin average.
With 278 students, its enrollment sits close to the Wisconsin median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,202 scored Wisconsin schools.
Against 314 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #109.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 278 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Hudson's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hudson Prairie Elementary (481 students): Willow River Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.3:1 vs 14.6:1).
Hudson School District also operates Hudson High (1,697 students) and Hudson Middle (1,089 students) alongside Willow River 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 Willow River Elementary compares
Willow River 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 | 10.3:1 | ▼ 28% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.7% | ▼ 64% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 278 | top 55% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
278
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% below the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 14% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
28.4%
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
$13,674
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 278 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 89.9%
Two or More 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.2%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.7%
Largest group: White at 89.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.8, Willow River Elementary is less mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hudson School District, which includes Willow River Elementary.
$13,674
Per student
-8%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.3%
State 30.5%
Federal 8.2%
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 Willow River Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hudson Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hudson Prairie Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rock Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| River Crest Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Willow River Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,697
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,089
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 366
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar elementary schools in Hudson
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~278 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Willow River Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Willow River Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Hudson 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 Willow River Elementary
How many students attend Willow River Elementary?
Willow River Elementary has 278 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Hudson, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Willow River Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Willow River Elementary is 10.3:1, 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 Willow River Elementary?
13.7% of students at Willow River Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Willow River Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Willow River Elementary is White at 89.9% of enrollment, in Hudson, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Willow River Elementary?
Willow River Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Willow River Elementary rank among elementary schools in Hudson?
By Resource Investment Index, Willow River Elementary ranks #2 of 4 elementary schools in Hudson, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Hudson on the city page.
Is Willow River Elementary a good school?
Willow River Elementary earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Hudson School District?
Besides Willow River Elementary, Hudson School District also operates Hudson High (1,697 students), Hudson Middle (1,089 students), and Hudson Prairie Elementary (481 students). See the Hudson 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.