Public schools in Appleton, WI
42 open public schools with an address in Appleton, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
42
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
16,007
40 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
13.8:1
Wisconsin median 13.2:1
Charter schools
14
1 magnet · 2 virtual
An overview of Appleton public schools
The federal directory lists 42 public schools in Appleton, WI: 23 elementary, 6 middle, 10 high, 3 combined or other. The 40 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 16,007 students, an average of 400 per school. The largest campus is North High (1,635 students), and the largest elementary school is Huntley Elementary (570).
Appleton Area School District operates the most schools here (39), and 2 regular districts have at least one Appleton campus. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 13.8:1, similar to the statewide school median of 13.2:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 14 charter schools, 1 magnet school, 2 virtual schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 10 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 9 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 6 of 11 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 39% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Appleton
Elementary schools in Appleton
23| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton Bilingual School Appleton Area School District · Charter | KG–05 | 139 | 16.4:1 | |
| Badger Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 258 | 9.7:1 | |
| Berry Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 368 | 12.5:1 | |
| Classical School Appleton Area School District · Charter | KG–08 | 487 | 18.3:1 | |
| Edison Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 242 | 10:1 | |
| Ferber Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 499 | 13.5:1 | |
| Fox River Academy Appleton Area School District · Charter | KG–08 | 150 | 17.8:1 | |
| Franklin Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 277 | 11.2:1 | |
| Highlands Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 417 | 10:1 | |
| Hmong American Immersion School Appleton Area School District · Charter | PK–04 | — | — | |
| Horizons Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 264 | 9.7:1 | |
| Houdini Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 501 | 13.9:1 | |
| Huntley Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 570 | 12.8:1 | |
| Jefferson Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 212 | 9.3:1 | |
| Johnston Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 286 | 11:1 | |
| McKinley Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 380 | 11.9:1 | |
| Richmond Elementary Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 245 | 12.4:1 | |
| Ronald C Dunlap Elementary School Appleton Area School District | PK–05 | 314 | 10.1:1 | |
| Sandy Slope Elementary School Appleton Area School District | KG–05 | — | — | |
| Stephen Foster Elementary Charter Appleton Area School District · Charter | PK–05 | 200 | 9.6:1 | |
| Sunrise Elementary Kimberly Area School District | PK–04 | 456 | 15.5:1 | |
| The Omolade Academy Appleton Area School District · Charter | KG–03 | 23 | 6.6:1 | |
| Woodland School Kimberly Area School District | PK–04 | 478 | 15.2:1 |
Middle schools in Appleton
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Einstein Middle Appleton Area School District | 06–08 | 851 | 14.4:1 | |
| Kaleidoscope Academy Appleton Area School District · Charter | 06–08 | 456 | 12.1:1 | |
| Madison Middle Appleton Area School District | 06–08 | 929 | 13.7:1 | |
| Odyssey-Magellan Appleton Area School District · Magnet | 02–08 | 214 | 18.5:1 | |
| Wilson Middle Appleton Area School District | 06–08 | 587 | 13.8:1 | |
| Woodland Intermediate Kimberly Area School District | 05–06 | 316 | 16.2:1 |
High schools in Appleton
10| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton Cooperative Educational Center Appleton Area School District · Alternative School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Appleton eSchool Appleton Area School District · Charter · Virtual | 07–12 | 35 | 7.3:1 | |
| Appleton Technical Academy Appleton Area School District · Charter · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 68 | 23.2:1 | |
| East High Appleton Area School District | 09–12 | 1,238 | 14.6:1 | |
| Fox Cities Leadership Academy Appleton Area School District · Charter | 09–12 | 78 | 35.5:1 | |
| North High Appleton Area School District | 09–12 | 1,635 | 17.3:1 | |
| Renaissance School Appleton Area School District · Charter | 09–12 | 151 | 36:1 | |
| Tesla Engineering Charter School Appleton Area School District · Charter | 09–12 | 147 | 40.8:1 | |
| Valley New School Appleton Area School District · Charter | 06–12 | 68 | 16.6:1 | |
| West High Appleton Area School District | 09–12 | 1,024 | 13.5:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Appleton
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton Community 4K Appleton Area School District | PK–PK | 672 | 18.9:1 | |
| Appleview Appleton Area School District · Special Education School | PK–12 | 29 | — | |
| Wisconsin Connections Academy Appleton Area School District · Charter · Virtual | PK–12 | 743 | 32.6:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White62.7%
- Hispanic12.9%
- Black4.8%
- Asian12%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.6%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial6.8%
Enrollment-weighted across 39 Appleton schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (16,007 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Appleton
How many public schools are in Appleton, WI?
The current NCES directory lists 42 open public schools with a location address in Appleton: 23 elementary, 6 middle, 10 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 16,007 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Appleton?
Schools with an address in Appleton belong to 2 education agencies, led by Appleton Area School District (39 schools), Kimberly Area School District (3 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Appleton?
North High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Appleton, with 1,635 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Appleton?
Yes. 14 of the 42 public schools in Appleton are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Appleton Bilingual School, Appleton eSchool, Appleton Technical Academy. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Appleton schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Appleton public schools is 13.8:1, similar to the Wisconsin school median of 13.2:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Appleton guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Wisconsin cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Wisconsin cities