Albert Lea Public School District

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Albert Lea, Minnesota - 9 schools

An equity score of 70/100 ranks Albert Lea Public School District #71 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,247 per pupil, Albert Lea Public School District ranks #169 of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,460
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$15,247
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Albert Lea Public School District operates 9 public schools serving 3,460 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 combined, 2 elementary, 1 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Freeborn County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,247 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 17.8% local, 69.9% state, and 12.3% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 70/100, ranked #71 of 410 in Minnesota against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (11 AP courses district-wide), a 319.4:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 24.2% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 54.8% White, 25.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hawthorne Elementary, with a diversity index of 67.5/100.

Its largest campus is Albert Lea Senior High, enrolling 1,196 students (36% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Albert Lea Secondary Online Academy, at 47 students, a 25x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Albert Lea Senior High accounts for 34.6% of all Albert Lea Public School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Albert Lea Public School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Albert Lea Public School District school enrollment varies 25× across entities

Albert Lea Public School District school enrollment ranges from 47 students (lowest) to 1,196 students (highest), a spread of 1,149 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Albert Lea Public School District has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 58.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Albert Lea Public School District student-counselor ratio is 319:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within Albert Lea Public School District is typically wider than the Albert Lea Public School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Albert Lea Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 24.2% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Albert Lea Public School District is typically wider than the Albert Lea Public School District-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

12.3%
Federal
69.9%
State
17.8%
Local

Funding Equity

70
Equity Score
71 / 410
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Albert Lea Public School District.

White 54.8%
Hispanic or Latino 25.2%
African American 3.1%
Asian 11.7%
Multiracial 4.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 60.5/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Albert Lea Public School District's schools, above the Minnesota average of 42.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Hawthorne Elementary 67.5
  2. 2 Halverson Elementary 65.2
  3. 3 Sibley Elementary 64.8
  4. 4 Southwest Middle 62.9
  5. 5 Albert Lea Area Learning Center 59.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 9
Schools with AP
11 AP courses total
319.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
24.2%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Albert Lea Public School District

School Enrollment
Albert Lea Senior High
1,196
Southwest Middle
486
Hawthorne Elementary
400
Lakeview Elementary
400
Halverson Elementary
360
Sibley Elementary
275
Albert Lea Area Learning Center
113
Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed
68
Albert Lea Secondary Online Academy
47

How Albert Lea Public School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Inver Grove Heights Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Chisago Lakes School District Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Worthington Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Princeton Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Faribault Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Albert Lea Public School District's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Minnesota

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Compare Albert Lea Public School District

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Albert Lea Public School District?

Albert Lea Public School District has 9 schools, including 6 combined, 1 middle, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,460 students.

How much does Albert Lea Public School District spend per student?

Albert Lea Public School District spends $15,247 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #71 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of Albert Lea Public School District?

Albert Lea Public School District students are 54.8% White, 25.2% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 3.1% African American, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Albert Lea Public School District?

Albert Lea Public School District has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #71 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.