Student-Staff Ratios at Hamilton School District and How They Compare

As districts plan their annual budget, layoffs are an annual conversation on the board. One statistic that parents and school leaders often cosinder is the district's student to staff ratios.

In general, according to the non-profit group Class Size Matters, a lower ratio is considered good as it provides smaller class sizes and allows students more opportunities for attention from teachers. 

There were 870,470 students enrolled in Wisconsin public and charter school in the 2011-12 school year. The districts employed 3,497 administrators, 31,532 aides and support staff, and 65,446 licensed staff members. All employment numbers are Full-Time Equivalents (FTE), which means two half-time staff members would count as one. 

Average staff-student ratios throught the state are as follows:

• 249 students per administrator;
• 28 students per aide/support staff;
• 13 students per licensed staff member. 

Here's how Hamilton School District compared to other neighboring districts, according to information from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. All numbers are for the 2011-12 school year.

Are you happy with the ratios in Hamilton?