Is Wendell L. Cross School a good school?

Wendell L. Cross School ranks in the bottom 15.9% of Connecticut elementary schools.

How many students attend Wendell L. Cross School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 551 students attended Wendell L. Cross School.

What is the racial makeup of Wendell L. Cross School?

Students at Wendell L. Cross School are 56% Hispanic, 18% African American, 17% White, 6% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Wendell L. Cross School attend?

Students who attend Wendell L. Cross School usually go on to attend: Middle : Michael F. Wallace Middle School High : Crosby High School

Wendell L. Cross School

Summary:

Wendell L. Cross School is an elementary school serving grades PK-8 in Waterbury, Connecticut, with a student population of 551. The school is part of the Waterbury School District, which is ranked 151 out of 158 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Wendell L. Cross School consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Connecticut elementary schools, with a ranking between 411-419 out of 490-497 schools over the past several years. Its performance on standardized tests like the SBAC is significantly below the state average across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts ranged from 19.2% to 32.8%, compared to the state average of 45.9% to 51.4%. In Mathematics, the school's proficiency rates were 11.5% to 27.9%, compared to the state average of 41.5% to 51.3%. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as female and male students, who ranked in the bottom 10% of Connecticut elementary schools in 2021-2022. However, the school's Hispanic students performed slightly better, ranking in the middle third of Connecticut elementary schools.

Wendell L. Cross School's academic performance is generally lower than that of nearby schools in the Waterbury School District, such as Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School, which consistently outperforms Wendell L. Cross School on standardized tests, with proficiency rates that are 20-30 percentage points higher in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Additionally, Wendell L. Cross School's performance on the SchoolDigger ranking system has declined over the past decade, dropping from a 3-star rating in 2012-2013 to a 1-star rating in recent years, suggesting that the school's academic challenges may be worsening over time.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-8

1255 Hamilton Ave.
Waterbury, CT 06706

(203) 574-8171

District: Waterbury School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
418^th of 497 Connecticut Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,929

Students who attend Wendell L. Cross School usually attend:

Middle:	Michael F. Wallace Middle School
High:	Crosby High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 551

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.1%

African American:

18.1%

White:

17.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66.2%

See top rated Connecticut elementary schools

Compare Wendell L. Cross School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Wendell L. Cross School ranks worse than 84.1% of elementary schools in Connecticut. It also ranks 9^th among 18 ranked elementary schools in the Waterbury School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.62. (See more...)

Compare Details Wendell L. Cross School ranks worse than 92% of middle schools in Connecticut. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.38. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Wendell L. Cross School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Waterbury School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wendell L. Cross School is $16,929. 13 elementary schools in the Waterbury School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Wendell L. Cross School:

SchoolDigger ranks Wendell L. Cross School 418^th of 497 Connecticut public elementary schools. (See Wendell L. Cross School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Wendell L. Cross School 230^th of 250 Connecticut public middle schools. (See Wendell L. Cross School in the ranking list.)

Waterbury School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Waterbury School District 151^st of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Wendell L. Cross School?

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Rank History for Wendell L. Cross School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Wendell L. Cross School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2006	34.13	433^rd	570	24.0%
2007	38.75	418^th	568	26.4%
2008	40.61	412^th	565	27.1%
2009	53.04	354^th	566	37.5%
2010	47.83	386^th	579	33.3%
2011	48.45	374^th	565	33.8%
2012	53.61	347^th	564	38.5%
2013	69.72	222^nd	557	60.1%
2015	34.49	384^th	551	30.3%
2016	15.59	424^th	518	18.1%
2017	23.41	392^nd	519	24.5%
2018	40.22	317^th	532	40.4%
2019	34.79	342^nd	522	34.5%
2021	21.12	414^th	538	23.0%
2022	12.37	411^th	490	16.1%
2023	11.08	419^th	491	14.7%
2024	12.62	418^th	497	15.9%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Wendell L. Cross School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	38.52	228^th	371	38.5%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Wendell L. Cross School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	43.64	169^th	302	44.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Wendell L. Cross School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	10.48	398^th	455	12.5%
2022	6.29	219^th	234	6.4%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Wendell L. Cross School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2021	25.37	323^rd	445	27.4%
2022	6.86	221^st	232	4.7%
2023	4.02	228^th	231	1.3%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Wendell L. Cross School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	62.23	30^th	101	70.3%
2019	42.08	61^st	112	45.5%
2021	27.75	121^st	173	30.1%
2022	37.71	66^th	99	33.3%
2023	31.74	79^th	108	26.9%
2024	41.36	63^rd	111	43.2%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Wendell L. Cross School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	8.38	230^th	250	8.0%

See the entire list of Connecticut Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Wendell L. Cross School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	146	43	0	30	1	n/a	n/a	220
1989	136	37	0	30	0	n/a	n/a	203
1990	160	36	2	42	n/a	n/a	n/a	240
1991	151	33	3	38	0	n/a	n/a	225
1992	136	28	3	39	0	n/a	n/a	206
1993	169	31	14	73	0	n/a	n/a	287
1994	161	54	12	95	1	n/a	n/a	323
1995	155	47	12	108	0	n/a	n/a	322
1996	155	47	12	108	0	n/a	n/a	322
1997	144	70	7	109	0	n/a	n/a	330
1998	159	60	7	97	0	n/a	n/a	323
1999	161	59	7	99	0	n/a	n/a	326
2000	143	53	11	117	1	n/a	n/a	325
2001	126	43	13	102	2	n/a	n/a	286
2002	120	68	19	130	2	n/a	n/a	339
2003	120	68	19	130	2	n/a	n/a	339
2004	108	69	20	127	1	n/a	n/a	325
2005	107	80	19	144	1	n/a	n/a	351
2006	129	88	19	160	1	n/a	n/a	397
2007	112	96	17	146	3	n/a	n/a	374
2008	113	95	12	127	2	n/a	n/a	349
2009	118	94	14	121	5	n/a	n/a	352
2010	120	93	12	137	5	n/a	n/a	367
2011	127	79	0	154	3	0	11	374
2012	116	70	14	164	7	0	6	377
2013	106	61	7	164	6	0	8	352
2014	91	69	7	180	4	0	16	367
2015	93	59	10	183	2	0	19	366
2016	82	52	12	163	4	0	11	324
2017	88	65	10	173	4	0	10	350
2018	96	59	18	157	3	0	14	347
2019	84	58	21	167	3	0	16	349
2020	81	55	18	152	3	0	15	324
2021	71	60	11	159	2	0	18	321
2022	82	72	11	256	3	0	22	446
2023	96	100	10	309	4	0	32	551

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Wendell L. Cross School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	220	15.0	14.6	n/a
1989	203	15.0	13.5	n/a
1990	240	16.0	15.0	n/a
1991	225	14.0	16.0	n/a
1992	206	15.9	12.9	34.5
1993	287	18.9	15.2	2.8
1994	323	19.9	16.2	53.3
1995	322	21.0	15.3	48.8
1996	322	21.0	15.3	48.8
1997	330	22.8	14.5	45.5
1998	323	22.2	14.5	41.8
1999	326	22.5	14.5	60.1
2000	325	20.5	15.9	63.4
2001	286	20.4	14.0	n/a
2002	339	20.4	16.6	69.6
2003	339	20.4	16.6	69.6
2004	325	21.9	14.8	72
2005	351	21.1	16.6	n/a
2006	397	20.1	19.8	59.4
2007	374	20.9	17.9	70.9
2008	349	18.5	18.9	72.5
2009	352	23.4	16.9	69.9
2010	367	22.0	16.6	72.8
2011	374	24.0	15.5	76.2
2012	377	22.5	16.7	77.5
2013	352	22.8	15.4	75
2014	367	22.6	16.2	77.9
2015	366	22.0	16.6	62
2016	324	21.0	15.4	70.1
2017	350	20.2	17.3	56.9
2018	347	23.4	14.8	63.1
2019	349	21.5	16.2	60.5
2020	324	23.9	13.5	69.8
2021	321	21.9	14.6	65.1
2022	446	33.8	13.1	59.6
2023	551	37.8	14.5	66.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Wendell L. Cross School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	220	15.0	14.6	n/a
1989	203	15.0	13.5	n/a
1990	240	16.0	15.0	n/a
1991	225	14.0	16.0	n/a
1992	206	15.9	12.9	34.5
1993	287	18.9	15.2	2.8
1994	323	19.9	16.2	53.3
1995	322	21.0	15.3	48.8
1996	322	21.0	15.3	48.8
1997	330	22.8	14.5	45.5
1998	323	22.2	14.5	41.8
1999	326	22.5	14.5	60.1
2000	325	20.5	15.9	63.4
2001	286	20.4	14.0	n/a
2002	339	20.4	16.6	69.6
2003	339	20.4	16.6	69.6
2004	325	21.9	14.8	72
2005	351	21.1	16.6	n/a
2006	397	20.1	19.8	59.4
2007	374	20.9	17.9	70.9
2008	349	18.5	18.9	72.5
2009	352	23.4	16.9	69.9
2010	367	22.0	16.6	72.8
2011	374	24.0	15.5	76.2
2012	377	22.5	16.7	77.5
2013	352	22.8	15.4	75
2014	367	22.6	16.2	77.9
2015	366	22.0	16.6	62
2016	324	21.0	15.4	70.1
2017	350	20.2	17.3	56.9
2018	347	23.4	14.8	63.1
2019	349	21.5	16.2	60.5
2020	324	23.9	13.5	69.8
2021	321	21.9	14.6	65.1
2022	446	33.8	13.1	59.6
2023	551	37.8	14.5	66.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Wendell L. Cross School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$15,147
2019	$16,026
2020	$15,366
2021	$16,201
2022	$16,485
2023	$16,929

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wendell L. Cross School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 342^nd of 522 Elementary schools	Ranks 419^th of 491 Elementary schools	19.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wendell L. Cross School)	45.2	19	26.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Waterbury School District)	32.4	19.1	13.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.3	45.5	8.8%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wendell L. Cross School)	49	28.6	20.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Waterbury School District)	31.2	21.7	9.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Connecticut)	54.6	48.8	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wendell L. Cross School)	51	22.2	28.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Waterbury School District)	27.7	17.9	9.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	52.5	48.3	4.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wendell L. Cross School)	34	16.9	17.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Waterbury School District)	21.7	14.5	7.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Connecticut)	46.5	41.8	4.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	349	551	57.9%
African American	58	100	72.4%
American Indian	3	4	33.3%
Asian	21	10	52.4%
Hispanic	167	309	85%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	84	96	14.3%
Two or More Races	16	32	100%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	60.5%	66.2%	5.8%

Schools Near Wendell L. Cross School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)		SBAC English Language Arts (2024)						SBAC Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 5th Grade	NGSS Science 8th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 4th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 5th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 6th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 7th Grade	SBAC English Language Arts 8th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 3rd Grade	SBAC Mathematics 4th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 5th Grade	SBAC Mathematics 7th Grade	Total
Wendell L. Cross School	Public	PK, KG-8	1255 Hamilton Ave.	Waterbury	06706	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8171	551	38	14.5	66.2%	96 (17.4%)	100 (18.1%)	309 (56.1%)	10 (1.8%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (5.8%)	12.6	418^th of 497 public elementary schools	15.9%		11.1	419^th of 491 public elementary schools	14.7%	1	29.5		24.6	26.2	32.8		19.2	21.3	27.9	16.4	16.4	11.5	$16,929
Roberto Clemente International Dual Language School	Public	PK, KG-3	116 Beecher Avenue	Waterbury	06705	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 574-8000	171	12	14.8	62.6%	5 (2.9%)	17 (9.9%)	144 (84.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.9%)								(n/a)			37.5										$18,518
Gilmartin School	Public	PK, KG-8	107 Wyoming Ave.	Waterbury	06706	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8175	480	33	14.5	76.7%	40 (8.3%)	94 (19.6%)	308 (64.2%)	12 (2.5%)	8 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.5%)	5.5	484^th of 497 public elementary schools	2.6%		4.6	484^th of 491 public elementary schools	1.4%		15.1	17.0	13.7		11.3	18.5	17.6	23.4	15.7			13.7	$17,432
Hopeville School	Public	K-5	2 Cypress St.	Waterbury	06706	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8173	303	29	10.3	72.9%	26 (8.6%)	55 (18.2%)	209 (69.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)								(n/a)	16.7				16.7								$21,420
Washington School	Public	PK, KG-5	685 Baldwin St.	Waterbury	06706	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8177	296	18	16.1	78.7%	17 (5.7%)	43 (14.5%)	224 (75.7%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.7%)	9.7	440^th of 497 public elementary schools	11.5%		9.3	439^th of 491 public elementary schools	10.6%	1	31.0		13.0	12.8	25.6								$16,067
H. S. Chase School	Public	PK, KG-5	40 Woodtick Rd.	Waterbury	06705	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8188	629	51	12.2	72.7%	67 (10.7%)	148 (23.5%)	340 (54.1%)	28 (4.5%)	8 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (6.0%)	23.5	355^th of 497 public elementary schools	28.6%		14	401^st of 491 public elementary schools	18.3%	46	25.2		53.5	28.8	35.8				54.9	30.1	13.0		$18,816
Woodrow Wilson School	Public	PK, KG-5	235 Birch St.	Waterbury	06704	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 573-6660	438	30	14.6	79.9%	10 (2.3%)	104 (23.7%)	309 (70.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.2%)	4.6	489^th of 497 public elementary schools	1.6%		4.8	481^st of 491 public elementary schools	2.0%	8	14.8		12.1		12.7				16.7	12.5			$16,229
Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-5	233 South Elm St.	Waterbury	06706	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	Yes	No	Yes	(203) 574-8162	596	43	13.9	53.7%	155 (26.0%)	87 (14.6%)	316 (53.0%)	10 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.7%)	44.1	270^th of 497 public elementary schools	45.7%		35.4	298^th of 491 public elementary schools	39.3%	28	45.9		50.6	57.8	54.1				50.6	43.3	27.1		$19,900
Margaret M. Generali Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3196 East Main St.	Waterbury	06705	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8174	457	39	11.8	77.0%	55 (12.0%)	96 (21.0%)	258 (56.5%)	18 (3.9%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (6.1%)	9.8	439^th of 497 public elementary schools	11.7%		7.9	450^th of 491 public elementary schools	8.4%	11	22.2		26.1	26.7	27.0				20.6	14.7	12.7		$19,924
Duggan School	Public	PK, KG-8	952 Bank Street	Waterbury	06708	New Haven County	Waterbury School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 574-8875	429	33	13.0	86.7%	41 (9.6%)	103 (24.0%)	257 (59.9%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	15.1	395^th of 497 public elementary schools	20.5%		10.2	427^th of 491 public elementary schools	13.0%	32		29.7	20.0			31.7	24.1	18.9	30.0	25.6		16.7	$19,205

Wendell L. Cross School

Wendell L. Cross School:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Waterbury School District:

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Rank History for Wendell L. Cross School

Rank History for all elementary school students at Wendell L. Cross School

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Wendell L. Cross School

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Wendell L. Cross School

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Wendell L. Cross School

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Wendell L. Cross School

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Wendell L. Cross School

Rank History for Wendell L. Cross School

Enrollment information for Wendell L. Cross School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Wendell L. Cross School

Student/Teacher Ratio Wendell L. Cross School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Wendell L. Cross School

Impact of COVID-19 on Wendell L. Cross School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Wendell L. Cross School

Frequently Asked Questions about Wendell L. Cross School

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