HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota — 2 schools

1,052
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$16,531
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Other
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY operates 2 public schools serving 1,052 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 elementary, 1 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 967 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Ramsey County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,531 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 0.1% local, 80.7% state, and 19.1% 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. The district's equity score — 58/100, ranked #145 of 417 in Minnesota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

a 483.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 23.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 94.3% African American, 4.7% White, 1.0% Asian across the district's schools.

Higher Ground Academy accounts for 54.3% of all HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 94.0% 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 — 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

HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY student-counselor ratio is 484:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

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

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

HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY chronic absenteeism rate is 23.0% — 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 HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY is typically wider than the HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

19.1%
Federal
80.7%
State
0.1%
Local

Funding Equity

58
Equity Score
145 / 417
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Local Rent Costs

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

$1,242
Studio/mo
$1,405
1 BR/mo
$1,709
2 BR/mo
$2,262
3 BR/mo
$2,531
4 BR/mo

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 2 schools in HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY.

White 4.7%
African American 94.3%
Asian 1.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

483.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
23.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY

School Enrollment
Higher Ground Academy
Charter
525
Higher Ground Secondary Academy
Charter
442

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 HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY →
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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Minneapolis Public School District
29,205 students · 97 schools · $26,112/pupil
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OSSEO PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT
20,737 students · 33 schools · $18,446/pupil
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Compare HIGHER GROUND 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 HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY?

HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY has 2 schools, including 1 elementary, 1 other. Total enrollment is 1,052 students.

How much does HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY spend per student?

HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY spends $16,531 per student. The district has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #145 in Minnesota.

What is the average rent near HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY?

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

What is the demographic composition of HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY?

HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY students are 94.3% African American, 4.7% White, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY?

HIGHER GROUND ACADEMY has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #145 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

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.