Climax-Shelly Public Schools

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.

Climax, Minnesota - 2 schools

At $16,392 per pupil, Climax-Shelly Public Schools ranks #147 of 509 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

189
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$16,392
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Climax-Shelly Public Schools operates 2 public schools serving 189 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined 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 Polk County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,392 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 509 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 19.5% local, 68.4% state, and 12.0% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles.

a 79.5:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 44.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 69.2% White, 19.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.8% African American across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Climax Secondary, enrolling 94 students (59% of the district's total enrollment).

Climax Secondary accounts for 49.7% of all Climax-Shelly Public Schools student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Climax-Shelly Public Schools a distant remainder — means Climax-Shelly Public Schools-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Climax-Shelly Public Schools reports 58.6% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Climax-Shelly Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 80:1 — 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

Climax-Shelly Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 44.5% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

12.0%
Federal
68.4%
State
19.5%
Local

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in Climax-Shelly Public Schools.

White 69.2%
Hispanic or Latino 19.4%
African American 5.8%
Multiracial 0.6%
Other 5.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

79.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
44.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Climax-Shelly Public Schools

School Enrollment
Climax Secondary
94
Climax Elementary
65

How Climax-Shelly Public Schools Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Tri-County School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Freshwater Education District Similar size No spending data More locally funded
Harbor City International Charter Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Level Up Academy Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Star of the North Academy Charter S Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Climax-Shelly Public Schools'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 Climax-Shelly Public Schools →
Saint Paul Public Schools
32,316 students · 99 schools · $21,634/pupil
Compare vs Climax-Shelly Public Schools →
Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan
29,221 students · 41 schools · $15,334/pupil
Compare vs Climax-Shelly Public Schools →
Osseo Public School District
20,737 students · 33 schools · $16,345/pupil
Compare vs Climax-Shelly Public Schools →

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 Climax-Shelly 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 Climax-Shelly Public Schools?

Climax-Shelly Public Schools has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 189 students.

How much does Climax-Shelly Public Schools spend per student?

Climax-Shelly Public Schools spends $16,392 per student.

What is the demographic composition of Climax-Shelly Public Schools?

Climax-Shelly Public Schools students are 69.2% White, 19.4% Hispanic or Latino, 5.8% African American, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.