Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools
Public school district · Cass County · Minnesota · NCES district ID 2708070
Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools spent $22,906 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 99% of the other Minnesota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $14,091). Its 4 schools enrolled 1,119 students in 2024-25; 52.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $23,168 per student, up 1.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 50-54% (Minnesota: 83.3%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Minnesota districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools in enrollment (1,107 to 1,166 students) and Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$30,009,000 in revenue: 52.7% state, 14.6% local and 32.7% federal. Total spending including $7,884,000 of capital outlay was $36,689,000, or $32,240 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$15,827,000 53%
- Local$4,371,000 15%
- Federal$9,811,000 33%
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 fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
1,138 students in 2022-23, 1,112 students in 2023-24, 1,119 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 1,138 | 106.7 | 10.7 |
| 2023-24 | 1,112 | 110.9 | 10.0 |
| 2024-25 | 1,119 | 104.4 | 10.7 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$7,275,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,393 per student
Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools booked $7,275,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 108 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 $67,555 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 65 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).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $6,274,000 | 86.2% |
| Special education | $700,000 | 9.6% |
| Vocational | $227,000 | 3.1% |
| Other programs | $74,000 | 1.0% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,964 in 2018-19, $5,446 in 2019-20, $6,062 in 2020-21, $6,072 in 2021-22, $6,393 in 2022-23.
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 Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools scored proficient or above: 22% in reading and 15% 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.
| Subject | This district | Minnesota | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 22% | 51.1% | 504 |
| Math | 15% | 44.8% | 505 |
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
50-54% of the 87 students in Cass Lake-Bena 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.
| This district | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 50‑54% | 83.3% |
| Students in the class | 87 | 69,945 |
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.
1 elementary school, 450 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass Lake-Bena Elementary | 450 | 10.1 | 78.9% | 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.
1 middle school, 312 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass Lake-Bena Middle School | 312 | 10.5 | 72.8% | 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.
2 high schools, 357 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass Lake-Bena Secondary | 263 | 11.7 | 68.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. | 94 | 12.0 | 74.5% | Eligible, no 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 Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools
- Website: clbs.k12.mn.us
- Phone: (218) 335-2204
- Office: 208 Central Ave Nw, Cass Lake, MN 56633
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 Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools
- Minnesota districts by spending per studentCass Lake-Bena Public Schools ranks 2 of 163 Minnesota districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($22,906).#2 of 163
- Every school district in MinnesotaCass Lake-Bena Public Schools is the number 142 by size of 543 Minnesota districts, with 1,138 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#142 of 543
- Sauk Centre Public School DistrictThe next larger Minnesota district: 1,139 students in fall 2022, $13,632 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,632
- Crookston Public School DistrictThe next smaller Minnesota district: 1,135 students in fall 2022, $15,427 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,427
- Compare Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools with Sauk Centre Public School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Cass Lake-Bena Secondary, its largest high school263 students in 2024-25, 11.7 per teacher.263
- Teacher salary spending across MinnesotaCass Lake-Bena Public Schools spent $67,555 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $62,418); spending, not a salary.$67,555
- 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 Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools
How many schools and students are in Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools?
4 schools were open in 2024-25 (1 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 1,119 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools spend per student?
$22,906 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 $23,168 per student, up 1.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools' money come from?
$30,009,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 52.7% state, 14.6% local and 32.7% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 224 of the 1,061 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 21.1%, 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.How much does Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$7,275,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,393 per student. Divided by the 108 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $67,555 per teacher, more than 65 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).How do students in Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools scored proficient or above: 22% in reading and 15% 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.What is the graduation rate in Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools?
50-54% of the 87 students in Cass Lake-Bena 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.What is Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools' NCES district ID?
2708070. 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