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What do students at West High actually talk about outside of class?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,470
High
DISTRICT 800 · STATE 475
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WAUSAU SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 551590002064
West High
1200 W Wausau Ave, Wausau, WI 54401 · (715) 261-0850 · Marathon County
GRADES 09–12HIGH13-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,470 STUDENTS
·
allk12 Grade
Not graded
This school has no state test results for 2023-24 or 2024-25 to grade, which is common for schools that end before third grade. How grades work
Student : Teacher
15.2:1
97 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.3:1 · STATE 14.6:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
41%
606 students
DISTRICT 46% · STATE 42%
Community
1
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 | 363 | 25% |
| Grade 10 | 362 | 25% |
| Grade 11 | 348 | 24% |
| Grade 12 | 397 | 27% |
Student demographics
56%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 56% · STATE 54% · US 70%
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
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
46.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
52.4%
based on WI schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-5.5pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 47% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 52% typical for Wisconsin schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Wisconsin's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like West High
West High's state test result (46.8% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| West High this school | 1,470 | 41.2% | 46.8% |
| D C Everest Junior High Weston | 848 | 34.0% | 58.1% |
| North High Sheboygan | 1,482 | 51.1% | 43.9% |
| East High Appleton | 1,238 | 40.5% | 33.8% |
| D C Everest High Weston | 1,335 | 31.2% | 48.4% |
| West High Appleton | 1,024 | 50.1% | 28.9% |
Matched among Wisconsin high schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where West High ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Wisconsin | In Marathon County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 46.8% | #204 of 402 | #9 of 10 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,470 | #29 of 532 | #1 of 12 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.2:1 | #215 of 325 | #6 of 8 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 56.1% | #55 of 325 | #1 of 8 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 41.2% | #149 of 418 | #2 of 10 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +9.1% | #59 of 128 | N/A |
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
1,470
+74 (+5%) vs 2020
+9% since 1990-91, when it was 1,348
Student : Teacher
15.2:1
was 15.9:1
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 | 1,470 | 96.8 | 15.2:1 | 41% (606) |
| 2023-24 | 1,443 | 98.3 | 14.7:1 | 44% (633) |
| 2022-23 | 1,446 | 99.9 | 14.5:1 | 40% (575) |
| 2020-21 | 1,396 | 88 | 15.9:1 | 41% (567) |
| 2017-18 | 1,347 | 89.3 | 15.1:1 | 35% (474) |
| 2015-16 | 1,338 | 87 | 15.4:1 | 37% (501) |
| 2010-11 | 1,431 | 89 | 16.1:1 | 40% (569) |
| 2000-01 | 1,681 | 110 | 15.3:1 | 33% (547) |
| 1990-91 | 1,348 | 94 | 14.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for West High.
Since 2017-18: students up 9% (1,347 to 1,470); teachers up 8% (89.3 to 96.8).
About West High
In Wausau, Wisconsin, West High is a large high school. It covers grades 9 through 12, with a total enrollment of 1,470 students. Statewide, high schools in Wisconsin average about 475 students each.
Within Wausau School District, West High is one of 21 schools. The district enrolls 7,738 students.
White students make up a majority at West High, at 61%. Other students are 23% Asian, 8% Hispanic, and 4% multiracial. That is lower than the 87% White share among all Marathon County residents. Pick two students at random and there is a 56% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Federal staffing data show 96.8 full-time-equivalent teachers at West High and a ratio of 15.2:1. That matches the 14.6:1 average for high schools in Wisconsin fairly closely. Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility covers 41% of students.
Test results at West High are 5.5 points below what its free or reduced-price lunch share predicts (46.8% actual, 52.4% predicted).
Among Marathon County residents, the median household income is $77,884, roughly 28% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 5%. West High is one of 52 public schools in the county.
Of nearby public schools, Grant Elementary is the closest, at about 0.6 miles. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of West High. On proficiency, West High is behind the 47.7% nearby average, ranking 5th of 8.
Under the NCES locale system, West High is City: Small.
2024-25 enrollment was 1,470, a 5% rise from 1,396 in 2020-21.
Discussions about West High may include science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Marathon County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
138,403
Census ACS
Median income
$77,884
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
28%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
5%
Below federal line
Schools in county
52
18,592 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Wausau School District
- John Muir MiddleMiddle · 967 students
- East HighHigh · 893 students
- Horace Mann MiddleMiddle · 635 students
- G D Jones ElementaryElementary · 492 students
- Riverview ElementaryElementary · 445 students
- Thomas Jefferson ElementaryElementary · 372 students
Other schools in Wausau
- John Muir MiddleMiddle · 967 students
- East HighHigh · 893 students
- Horace Mann MiddleMiddle · 635 students
- G D Jones ElementaryElementary · 492 students
- Riverview ElementaryElementary · 445 students
- Thomas Jefferson ElementaryElementary · 372 students
Other West High schools
20 other US public schools in 11 states are named West High. West High is the 9th largest of the 21.
Nearby schools
- Grant Elementary0.6 mi · 189
- Thomas Jefferson Elementary0.7 mi · 372
- John Muir Middle1.0 mi · 967
- Franklin Elementary1.3 mi · 181
- Lincoln Elementary1.4 mi · 204
- G D Jones Elementary1.7 mi · 492
Frequently asked questions
About West HighHow large is West High?
West High enrolls approximately 1,470 students in grades 09-12.
What age range does West High serve?
West High serves students from grade 09 through grade 12.
How many students per teacher at West High?
Approximately 15.2:1 students per teacher at West High.
What is the racial breakdown of students at West High?
At West High, the student body is approximately 61% White, 8% Hispanic, 2% Black, 23% Asian, 4% Two or more.
What district is West High in?
West High is part of Wausau School District.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.