Enrollment
587
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Appleton, WI
Wilson Middle
Federal NCES profile for Wilson Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 16/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 550039000065
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wilson Middle earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Wisconsin schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Wisconsin schools.
- #4 of 4
- middle schools in Appleton · Resource Index
- 16
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.7:1
- large classes for Wisconsin
- 61.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Wilson Middle has class sizes larger than 94% of Wisconsin schools. Computed live against every Wisconsin school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wilson Middle ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Appleton, WI.
School address
District: Appleton Area School District · Wisconsin
NCES ID 550039000065 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.7:1
vs 14.4:1 Wisconsin avg
+51% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.5%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
+60% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wilson Middle compares with Wisconsin and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wilson Middle
Wilson Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Appleton, Wisconsin, enrolling 587 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.7:1 is larger than about 94% of Wisconsin schools and 51% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 61.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 587 puts it in the larger third of Wisconsin schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 2,202 Wisconsin schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 110 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Wisconsin schools statewide, it ranks #108, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and Asian (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 587 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Appleton's middle schools, it stands alongside Madison Middle (929 students): Wilson Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.7:1 vs 19.8:1).
Appleton Area School District also operates North High (1,635 students) and East High (1,238 students) alongside Wilson Middle.
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 Wilson Middle compares
Wilson Middle on the metrics families compare, against Wisconsin and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.7:1 | ▲ 51% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.5% | ▲ 60% | 38.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 587 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.7:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
587
Bigger than 71% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 60% above the Wisconsin average of 38.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.7:1
students per teacher
- 51% above state mean
Top 94% in Wisconsin - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.2%
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
$13,545
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 587 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
54
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 18.1 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 42.4%
Asian 22.8%
Hispanic or Latino 16.0%
African American 9.0%
Two or More 8.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 42.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.7, Wilson Middle is more mixed than the Wisconsin school average of 35.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Appleton Area School District, which includes Wilson Middle.
$13,545
Per student
-9%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $14,919
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.7%
State 48.8%
Federal 11.4%
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 Wilson Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| North High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Madison Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Einstein Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wilson Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,635
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar middle schools in Appleton
3 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~587 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wilson Middle's federal record.
- Compare Wilson Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Appleton Area 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 Wilson Middle
How many students attend Wilson Middle?
Wilson Middle has 587 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Appleton, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wilson Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Wilson Middle is 21.7:1, which is 51% higher than the Wisconsin average of 14.4:1 and 38% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wilson Middle?
61.5% of students at Wilson Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wilson Middle?
The largest demographic group at Wilson Middle is White at 42.4% of enrollment, in Appleton, WI. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wilson Middle?
Wilson Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (lower 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 Wilson Middle rank among middle schools in Appleton?
By Resource Investment Index, Wilson Middle ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in Appleton, WI. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Appleton on the city page.
Is Wilson Middle a good school?
Wilson Middle earns 16/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Wisconsin schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Appleton Area School District?
Besides Wilson Middle, Appleton Area School District also operates North High (1,635 students), East High (1,238 students), and West High (1,024 students). See the Appleton Area 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.