Moorhead Area Public Schools

Public school district · Clay County · Minnesota · NCES district ID 2721420

Moorhead Area Public Schools spent $14,570 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 59% of the other Minnesota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $14,091). Its 11 schools enrolled 7,551 students in 2024-25; 70.4% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,971 per student, up 2.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 80% (Minnesota: 83.3%).

Spending per student among Minnesota districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Moorhead Area Public Schools in enrollment (6,670 to 8,398 students) and Moorhead Area Public Schools itself.

Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to Moorhead Area Public Schools, FY23Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 $17,393; Hopkins Public Schools $16,913; Roseville Area Schools 623 $16,619; Stillwater Area Public Schools ISD 834 $15,764; Moorhead Area Public Schools $14,570; Mankato Area Public Schools $14,091; Shakopee $13,885; Farmington Area Public Schools $13,007; Centennial $12,766; Albertville Schools $11,138; State median, 1,000+ students $14,091.10k12k14k16k18kBurnsville-Eagan-Savage School…$17,393Hopkins Public Schools$16,913Roseville Area Schools 623$16,619Stillwater Area Public Schools…$15,764Moorhead Area Public Schools$14,570Mankato Area Public Schools$14,091Shakopee$13,885Farmington Area Public Schools$13,007Centennial$12,766Albertville Schools$11,138State median, 1,000+ students $14,091
Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to Moorhead Area Public Schools, FY23Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 $17,393; Hopkins Public Schools $16,913; Roseville Area Schools 623 $16,619; Stillwater Area Public Schools ISD 834 $15,764; Moorhead Area Public Schools $14,570; Mankato Area Public Schools $14,091; Shakopee $13,885; Farmington Area Public Schools $13,007; Centennial $12,766; Albertville Schools $11,138; State median, 1,000+ students $14,091.10k12k14k16k18kBurnsville-Eagan-Savage School Dist…$17,393Hopkins Public Schools$16,913Roseville Area Schools 623$16,619Stillwater Area Public Schools ISD …$15,764Moorhead Area Public Schools$14,570Mankato Area Public Schools$14,091Shakopee$13,885Farmington Area Public Schools$13,007Centennial$12,766Albertville Schools$11,138State median, 1,000+ students $14,091
Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to Moorhead Area Public Schools, FY23Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 $17,393; Hopkins Public Schools $16,913; Roseville Area Schools 623 $16,619; Stillwater Area Public Schools ISD 834 $15,764; Moorhead Area Public Schools $14,570; Mankato Area Public Schools $14,091; Shakopee $13,885; Farmington Area Public Schools $13,007; Centennial $12,766; Albertville Schools $11,138; State median, 1,000+ students $14,091.10k14k18kBurnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191$17,393Hopkins Public Schools$16,913Roseville Area Schools 623$16,619Stillwater Area Public Schools ISD 834$15,764Moorhead Area Public Schools$14,570Mankato Area Public Schools$14,091Shakopee$13,885Farmington Area Public Schools$13,007Centennial$12,766Albertville Schools$11,138State median, 1,000+ students $14,091
Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to Moorhead Area Public Schools, FY23Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 $17,393; Hopkins Public Schools $16,913; Roseville Area Schools 623 $16,619; Stillwater Area Public Schools ISD 834 $15,764; Moorhead Area Public Schools $14,570; Mankato Area Public Schools $14,091; Shakopee $13,885; Farmington Area Public Schools $13,007; Centennial $12,766; Albertville Schools $11,138; State median, 1,000+ students $14,091.10k14k18kBurnsville-Eagan-Savage School District…$17,393Hopkins Public Schools$16,913Roseville Area Schools 623$16,619Stillwater Area Public Schools ISD 834$15,764Moorhead Area Public Schools$14,570Mankato Area Public Schools$14,091Shakopee$13,885Farmington Area Public Schools$13,007Centennial$12,766Albertville Schools$11,138State median, 1,000+ students $14,091

Where the money came from

$123,896,000 in revenue: 70.4% state, 21.2% local and 8.4% federal. Total spending including $39,738,000 of capital outlay was $156,828,000, or $21,159 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Moorhead Area Public Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $87,225,000; Local $26,286,000; Federal $10,385,000; total $123,896,000.
  • State$87,225,000 70%
  • Local$26,286,000 21%
  • Federal$10,385,000 8%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 163 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25

7,412 students in 2022-23, 7,460 students in 2023-24, 7,551 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Moorhead Area Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 7,412, 2023-24: 7,460, 2024-25: 7,55102k4k6k8k2022-237,4122023-247,4602024-257,551
Moorhead Area Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 7,412, 2023-24: 7,460, 2024-25: 7,55102k4k6k8k2022-237,4122023-247,4602024-257,551
Moorhead Area Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 7,412, 2023-24: 7,460, 2024-25: 7,55102k4k6k8k2022-237,4122023-247,4602024-257,551
Moorhead Area Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 7,412, 2023-24: 7,460, 2024-25: 7,55102k4k6k8k2022-237,4122023-247,4602024-257,551

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-237,412469.215.8
2023-247,460486.415.3
2024-257,551486.815.5

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$36,200,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,884 per student

Moorhead Area Public Schools booked $36,200,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 469 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $77,156 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 85 in 100 Minnesota districts with a figure (state median $62,418, 464 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Minnesota teacher salary at $68,491 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$27,300,00075.4%
Special education$7,264,00020.1%
Vocational$1,196,0003.3%
Other programs$440,0001.2%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,959 in 2018-19, $4,256 in 2019-20, $4,722 in 2020-21, $4,834 in 2021-22, $4,884 in 2022-23.

Moorhead Area Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,959, 2019-20: $4,256, 2020-21: $4,722, 2021-22: $4,834, 2022-23: $4,88402k4k6k2018-19$3,9592019-20$4,2562020-21$4,7222021-22$4,8342022-23$4,884
Moorhead Area Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,959, 2019-20: $4,256, 2020-21: $4,722, 2021-22: $4,834, 2022-23: $4,88402k4k6k2018-19$3,9592019-20$4,2562020-21$4,7222021-22$4,8342022-23$4,884
Moorhead Area Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,959, 2019-20: $4,256, 2020-21: $4,722, 2021-22: $4,834, 2022-23: $4,88402k4k6k2018-19$3,9592019-20$4,2562020-21$4,7222021-22$4,8342022-23$4,884
Moorhead Area Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,959, 2019-20: $4,256, 2020-21: $4,722, 2021-22: $4,834, 2022-23: $4,88402k4k6k2018-19$3,9592019-20$4,2562020-21$4,7222021-22$4,8342022-23$4,884

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Moorhead Area Public Schools scored proficient or above: 45% in reading and 42% in math, against 51.1% in reading and 44.8% in math across Minnesota. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Minnesota, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtMinnesotaStudents tested
Reading and language arts45%51.1%3,539
Math42%44.8%3,444

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

80% of the 487 students in Moorhead Area Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.3% across Minnesota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtMinnesota
Four-year graduation rate80%83.3%
Students in the class48769,945

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

5 elementary schools, 2,830 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
S.G. Reinertsen Elementary71913.737.3%Schoolwide program
Dorothy Dodds Elementary School62513.140.8%Schoolwide program
Ellen Hopkins Elementary61614.264.4%Schoolwide program
Robert Asp Elementary58013.446.0%Schoolwide program
Probstfield Elementary29041.418.3%Not reported

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 middle school, 2,158 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Horizon Middle School2,15816.940.3%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

2 high schools, 2,260 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Moorhead High School2,12219.034.9%Eligible, no program
Moorhead ALC1389.468.8%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

3 other schools, 303 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Probstfield Center for Education2537.352.6%Not Title I
West Central Academy-S347.258.8%Schoolwide program
West Central Academy-N16not reported81.3%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Moorhead Area Public Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Moorhead Area Public Schools

  1. Minnesota districts by spending per studentMoorhead Area Public Schools ranks 67 of 163 Minnesota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,570).#67 of 163
  2. Every school district in MinnesotaMoorhead Area Public Schools is the number 27 by size of 543 Minnesota districts, with 7,412 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#27 of 543
  3. Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191The next larger Minnesota district: 7,822 students in fall 2022, $17,393 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,393
  4. Roseville Area Schools 623The next smaller Minnesota district: 7,356 students in fall 2022, $16,619 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,619
  5. Compare Moorhead Area Public Schools with Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191Enrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Moorhead High School, its largest high school2,122 students in 2024-25, 19.0 per teacher.2,122
  7. Teacher salary spending across MinnesotaMoorhead Area Public Schools spent $77,156 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $62,418); spending, not a salary.$77,156
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Moorhead Area Public Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Moorhead Area Public Schools?
    11 schools were open in 2024-25 (5 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high, 3 other), enrolling 7,551 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Moorhead Area Public Schools spend per student?
    $14,570 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Minnesota median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $14,091 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,971 per student, up 2.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Moorhead Area Public Schools' money come from?
    $123,896,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 70.4% state, 21.2% local and 8.4% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Moorhead Area Public Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 1,016 of the 8,714 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 11.7%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Moorhead Area Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $36,200,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,884 per student. Divided by the 469 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $77,156 per teacher, more than 85 in 100 Minnesota districts (state median $62,418). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Minnesota teacher salary at $68,491 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Moorhead Area Public Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Moorhead Area Public Schools scored proficient or above: 45% in reading and 42% in math, against 51.1% in reading and 44.8% in math across Minnesota. Minnesota's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Moorhead Area Public Schools?
    80% of the 487 students in Moorhead Area Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.3% across Minnesota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Moorhead Area Public Schools' NCES district ID?
    2721420. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25