CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

CASS LAKE, Minnesota — 4 schools

1,138
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$26,386
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS operates 4 public schools serving 1,138 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other, 1 elementary, 1 high schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,119 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Cass County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $26,386 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 13.3% local, 52.2% state, and 34.6% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $119,987 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 89/100, ranked #10 of 417 in Minnesota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 223:1 student-counselor ratio that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 70.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 4.2% White, 1.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% African American across the district's schools.

Cass Lake-Bena Elementary accounts for 40.2% of all CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. 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

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS school enrollment varies 4.8× across entities

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS school enrollment ranges from 94 students (lowest) to 450 students (highest), a spread of 356 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 76.9% 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 — including this one — 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

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS student-counselor ratio is 223:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS chronic absenteeism rate is 70.8% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Where does the funding come from?

34.6%
Federal
52.2%
State
13.3%
Local

Funding Equity

89
Equity Score
10 / 417
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Cass County county, where this district is located.

$729
Studio/mo
$768
1 BR/mo
$973
2 BR/mo
$1,300
3 BR/mo
$1,632
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$119,987
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

White 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
Multiracial 0.6%
Other 94.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

223:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
70.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

School Enrollment
Cass Lake-Bena Elementary
450
Cass Lake-Bena Middle School
312
Cass Lake-Bena Secondary
263
Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr.
94

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 · $16,817/pupil
Compare vs CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS →
Saint Paul Public Schools
32,316 students · 99 schools · $24,161/pupil
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ROSEMOUNT-APPLE VALLEY-EAGAN
29,221 students · 41 schools · $16,310/pupil
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OSSEO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
20,737 students · 33 schools · $18,446/pupil
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Compare CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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 CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS has 4 schools, including 2 other, 1 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,138 students.

How much does CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS spend per student?

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS spends $26,386 per student. The district has an equity score of 89/100, ranking #10 in Minnesota.

What is the average teacher salary in CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

The average teacher salary in CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS is $119,987 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Cass County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS students are 4.2% White, 1.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% African American, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

CASS LAKE-BENA PUBLIC SCHOOLS has an equity score of 89/100, ranking #10 out of 417 districts in Minnesota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

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