Enrollment
21
High
DISTRICT 16 · STATE 371
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WEST CENTRAL EDUCATION DISTRICT·NCES 279145502388
WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER
9 2ND ST SW, MELROSE, MN 56352 · (320) 256-7836 · Stearns County
GRADES 06–12HIGH42-RURALALTERNATIVE EDUCATION SCHOOL21 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
Schools serving specialized populations are not graded, because state test results are not a fair comparison for them. How grades work
Student : Teacher
5.3:1
4 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 7.6:1 · STATE 16.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
38%
8 students
DISTRICT 30% · STATE 48%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 3 | 14% |
| Grade 10 | 2 | 10% |
| Grade 11 | 10 | 48% |
| Grade 12 | 6 | 29% |
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
QUIET COMMUNITY
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START A DISCUSSIONBeatsExpectations
Not computed for this schoolBeatsExpectations is not computed for specialized-population schools (schools for the deaf or blind, therapeutic and behavioral-health placements, juvenile-justice and alternative-education settings, and similar). State ELA/Math proficiency rates are not a comparable metric for these populations, so a demographically-adjusted residual against general-enrollment peers would be misleading. About the methodology →
Where WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Minnesota | In Stearns County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 21 | #642 of 764 | #14 of 17 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
21
-14 (-40%) vs 2020
-51% since 2000-01, when it was 43
Student : Teacher
5.3:1
was 11.7:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 21 | 4 | 5.3:1 | 38% (8) |
| 2023-24 | 29 | 4 | 7.2:1 | 66% (19) |
| 2022-23 | 33 | 3.5 | 9.5:1 | 82% (27) |
| 2020-21 | 35 | 3 | 11.7:1 | 51% (18) |
| 2017-18 | 24 | 3 | 8.0:1 | 75% (18) |
| 2015-16 | 38 | 3 | 12.7:1 | 47% (18) |
| 2010-11 | 40 | 3 | 13.3:1 | 45% (18) |
| 2000-01 | 43 | 3 | 14.3:1 | 0% (0) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER.
Since 2017-18: students down 12% (24 to 21); teachers up 33% (3 to 4).
About WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER
WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER is a very small high school in MELROSE, Minnesota. Its grade span covers grades 6 through 12, with 21 students on the rolls. On average, high schools in Minnesota enroll around 371, and this school is 94% below that mark.
WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER is one of the 4 schools that make up WEST CENTRAL EDUCATION DISTRICT (91 students in total).
The student body at WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER is 67% White. It is also 29% Hispanic and 5% multiracial. Stearns County's residents are about 82% White, 15 points above the school's share.
On staff are 4 full-time-equivalent teachers; the student-to-teacher ratio is 5.3:1. Statewide, high schools in Minnesota average 16.3:1. WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER has a free or reduced-price lunch rate of 38%.
In the wider Stearns County area, median household income comes to about $77,066, 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 8% of people live in poverty. Stearns County's 74 public schools enroll about 24,160 students and include WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER.
WEST CENTRAL EDUCATION DISTRICT B-2 is the nearest public school to WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER, less than a tenth of a mile away. Within five miles of WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER, there are 5 other public schools.
NCES lists the school's locale as Rural: Distant. That means it sits in rural territory some distance from an urban area.
Enrollment was 21 in 2024-25. In 2020-21, it was 35. Its ratio of students to teachers was 11.7:1 in 2020-21, and 5.3:1 in 2024-25.
This page collects posts and questions about WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER, such as fundraisers, report cards, and school supplies. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Stearns County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
160,865
Census ACS
Median income
$77,066
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
29%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
74
24,160 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in WEST CENTRAL EDUCATION DISTRICT
- WEST CENTRAL EDUCATION DISTRICT B-2Elementary · 50 students
- BEACON PROGRAM W CENTRAL ED. DIST.Combined · 10 students
- WCED 18-22 ProgramHigh · 10 students
- WCED Credit RecoveryHigh
Other schools in MELROSE
- MELROSE ELEMENTARYElementary · 512 students
- MELROSE SECONDARYHigh · 505 students
- MELROSE MIDDLEMiddle · 296 students
- WEST CENTRAL EDUCATION DISTRICT B-2Elementary · 50 students
- BEACON PROGRAM W CENTRAL ED. DIST.Combined · 10 students
- WCED Credit RecoveryHigh
Nearby schools
- WEST CENTRAL EDUCATION DISTRICT B-20.0 mi · 50
- BEACON PROGRAM W CENTRAL ED. DIST.0.0 mi · 10
- MELROSE MIDDLE0.7 mi · 296
- MELROSE SECONDARY0.7 mi · 505
- MELROSE ELEMENTARY0.8 mi · 512
- Sauk Centre Middle7.3 mi · 139
Frequently asked questions
About WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTERHow large is WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER?
WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER enrolls approximately 21 students in grades 06-12.
What grades does WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER serve?
WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER serves grades 06-12.
How many teachers does WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER have?
WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER employs 4 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 5.3:1.
How diverse is WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER?
WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER reports a student body of 67% White, 29% Hispanic, 5% Two or more.
Who oversees WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER?
WEST CENTRAL AREA LEARNING CENTER is overseen by WEST CENTRAL EDUCATION DISTRICT in Stearns County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.