Beacon Academy

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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Crystal, Minnesota - 1 schools

An equity score of 62/100 ranks Beacon Academy #120 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,298 per pupil, Beacon Academy ranks #294 of 509 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

547
Total Enrollment
1
Schools
$14,298
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Beacon Academy operates 1 public schools serving 547 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Hennepin County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,298 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 509 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 0.5% local, 84.8% state, and 14.6% 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 62/100, ranked #120 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.

a 131:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 23.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 36.8% African American, 35.5% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Beacon Academy, enrolling 524 students (100% of the district's total enrollment).

Beacon Academy accounts for 95.8% of all Beacon Academy student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Beacon Academy a distant remainder — means Beacon Academy-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: elementary. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Because it contains a majority of the affected population, enrollment-weighted aggregates will sit closer to this entity's reported fields than to those of smaller peers; an unweighted entity count answers a different question.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Beacon Academy student-counselor ratio is 131:1 — well below typical (typically associated with unusually small scale or exceptionally high per-unit investment)

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 Values this far below typical often correlate with unusually small scale or population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se — worth checking whether the underlying denominator is itself an outlier.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Beacon Academy chronic absenteeism rate is 23.3% — 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 Beacon Academy is typically wider than the Beacon Academy-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

14.6%
Federal
84.8%
State
0.5%
Local

Funding Equity

62
Equity Score
120 / 410
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 1 schools in Beacon Academy.

White 35.5%
Hispanic or Latino 14.3%
African American 36.8%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 12.0%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

131:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
23.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Beacon Academy

School Enrollment
Beacon Academy
Charter
524

How Beacon Academy Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Academia Cesar Chavez Charter Sch. Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Dawson-Boyd Public School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Stride Academy Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ely Public School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Parkers Prairie Public School Dist. Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Beacon Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Minnesota

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Anoka-Hennepin School District
38,590 students · 52 schools · $15,130/pupil
Compare vs Beacon Academy →
Saint Paul Public Schools
32,316 students · 99 schools · $21,634/pupil
Compare vs Beacon Academy →
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan
29,221 students · 41 schools · $15,334/pupil
Compare vs Beacon Academy →
Minneapolis Public School District
29,205 students · 97 schools · $21,839/pupil
Compare vs Beacon Academy →
Osseo Public School District
20,737 students · 33 schools · $16,345/pupil
Compare vs Beacon Academy →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Beacon Academy

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Anoka-Hennepin School District →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Beacon Academy?

Beacon Academy has 1 school, including 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 547 students.

How much does Beacon Academy spend per student?

Beacon Academy spends $14,298 per student. The district has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #120 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of Beacon Academy?

Beacon Academy students are 36.8% African American, 35.5% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 1 school. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Beacon Academy?

Beacon Academy has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #120 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.