Total enrollment
743
-30 (-4%) vs SY 2020-21
5 schools in WEST CENTRAL AREA
Minnesota · 743 students · 3 cities
WEST CENTRAL AREA's public-school footprint covers 5 schools with combined enrollment of about 743 students, averaging 149 per school.
4-year change in WEST CENTRAL AREA
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
4
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How WEST CENTRAL AREA ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In Minnesota | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 49.9% | #50 of 163 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 743 | #208 of 269 | #8,028 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 4 | #134 of 269 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 12.2:1 | #29 of 267 | #2,279 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 36.9% | #135 of 269 | #5,906 of 8,164 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside WEST CENTRAL AREA
State test results across the district's 4 scored schools run from WEST CENTRAL AREA N. EL. at 59.7% proficient to WCA Middle School at 34.0%, a gap of 25.7 points. That is the 26th widest gap among 84 Minnesota districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 4 district schools that reported both years went from 756 to 743 students (down 2%) and from 58 to 61 full-time teachers (up 5%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WCA Middle School | Barrett | Middle | 05-08 | 232 |
| WEST CENTRAL AREA SECONDARY | Barrett | High | 09-12 | 229 |
| WEST CENTRAL AREA N. EL. | Elbow Lake | Elementary | PK-04 | 144 |
| WEST CENTRAL AREA S. EL. | Kensington | Elementary | PK-04 | 138 |
| West Central Area ALP | Barrett | High | 05-12 | 0 |
About WEST CENTRAL AREA
WEST CENTRAL AREA is a low-population public-school district in Minnesota. The district maintains 5 schools and educates approximately 743 students.
In terms of grade levels, WEST CENTRAL AREA consists of 2 elementary, 1 middle, and 2 high schools.
On a per-school basis, WEST CENTRAL AREA runs about 149 students per school, 58% noticeably below the state mean of roughly 357.
Five-year track record. Combined enrollment now sits at 743 students, fell 4% from the 773 reported in SY 2020-21.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for WEST CENTRAL AREA discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.