Enrollment
743
Wisconsin · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 550039002825 Charter school
Wisconsin Connections Academy — Appleton, WI
Federal NCES profile for Wisconsin Connections Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 10/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
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: Appleton Area School District · Wisconsin
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)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
34.2:1
vs 15.1:1 Wisconsin avg
+126% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.1%
vs 38.5% Wisconsin avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wisconsin Connections Academy compares with Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin Connections Academy reports 743 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 21.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 34.2:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 126% above the Wisconsin state mean of 15.1:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 115% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 36.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 6% below the Wisconsin average and 30% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 743 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Appleton Area School District spends $14,757 per pupil district-wide, below the Wisconsin average of $18,610 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 39.7% from local sources (property taxes), 48.8% from the state, and 11.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Wisconsin Connections Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Wisconsin state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Wisconsin | Wisconsin avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 34.2:1 | ▲ 126% | 15.1:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.1% | ▼ 6% | 38.5% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 743 | top 91% | — | — |
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
36.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 6% 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
34.2:1
students per teacher
— 126% above state mean
Top 98% in Wisconsin — lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$14,757
per pupil, district-wide
— below Wisconsin avg of $18,610
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 743 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Enrollment 743 Top 91% in Wisconsin — larger than 9% of 2,205 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 21.0
Students per teacher 34.2:1 +126% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 36.1% -6% vs state
NCES ID 550039002825
Student demographics
White 68.6%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%
Two or More 8.0%
African American 7.8%
Asian 3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 68.6% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 8
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 743:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Appleton Area School District, which includes Wisconsin Connections Academy.
$14,757
Per student
-21%
vs Wisconsin
Avg $18,610
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,635
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,238
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,024
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Enrollment
- 929
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 851
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
Similar other schools in Appleton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Appleton Community 4k
Standard public school
672 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Huntley Elementary
Standard public school
570 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Houdini Elementary
Standard public school
501 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Ferber Elementary
Standard public school
499 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Highlands Elementary
Standard public school
417 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Mckinley Elementary
Standard public school
380 students 13:1 students per teacher
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 Wisconsin Connections Academy
How many students attend Wisconsin Connections Academy?
Wisconsin Connections Academy has 743 students enrolled. It is a other school in Appleton, WI.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wisconsin Connections Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Wisconsin Connections Academy is 34.2:1, which is 126% higher than the Wisconsin average of 15.1:1 and 115% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wisconsin Connections Academy?
36.1% of students at Wisconsin Connections Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Wisconsin average of 38.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wisconsin Connections Academy?
The largest demographic group at Wisconsin Connections Academy is White at 68.6%. The school serves a diverse student body in Appleton, WI.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wisconsin Connections Academy?
Wisconsin Connections Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.