Houston Public School District

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.

Houston, Minnesota - 6 schools

An equity score of 46/100 ranks Houston Public School District #232 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,729 per pupil, Houston Public School District ranks #414 of 509 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,115
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$12,729
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Houston Public School District operates 6 public schools serving 2,115 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 high, 2 combined, 1 elementary, 1 middle 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 Houston County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,729 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 9.6% local, 87.0% state, and 3.4% 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 46/100, ranked #232 of 410 in Minnesota against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 224.2:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 46.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.1% White, 8.2% African American, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.

Its largest campus is Minnesota Virtual Academy High, enrolling 706 students (37% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Summit Learning Program, at 22 students, a 32x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Minnesota Virtual Academy High accounts for 33.4% of all Houston Public School District student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Houston Public School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. 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

Houston Public School District school enrollment varies 32× across entities

Houston Public School District school enrollment ranges from 22 students (lowest) to 706 students (highest), a spread of 684 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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

Houston Public School District reports 51.0% 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

Houston Public School District student-counselor ratio is 224:1 — 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

Houston Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 46.1% — 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?

3.4%
Federal
87.0%
State
9.6%
Local

Funding Equity

46
Equity Score
232 / 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 6 schools in Houston Public School District.

White 76.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
African American 8.2%
Asian 1.2%
Multiracial 6.8%
Other 1.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 35.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Houston Public School District's schools, below the Minnesota average of 42.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar 69.0
  2. 2 Minnesota Virtual Academy Middle 60.3
  3. 3 Minnesota Virtual Academy High 54.6
  4. 4 Houston Elementary 11.6
  5. 5 Houston Secondary 9.8

Programs & Resources

2 / 6
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
224.2:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
46.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Houston Public School District

School Enrollment
Minnesota Virtual Academy High
706
Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar
392
Minnesota Virtual Academy Middle
333
Houston Elementary
247
Houston Secondary
234
Summit Learning Program
22

How Houston Public School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Hibbing Public School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Brooklyn Center School District Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Dassel-Cokato Public Schools Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Hermantown Community Schools Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
St. Peter Public School District Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Houston Public School District'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.

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 Houston Public School District

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 Houston Public School District?

Houston Public School District has 6 schools, including 2 high, 1 elementary, 1 middle, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 2,115 students.

How much does Houston Public School District spend per student?

Houston Public School District spends $12,729 per student. The district has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #232 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of Houston Public School District?

Houston Public School District students are 76.1% White, 8.2% African American, 6.5% Hispanic or Latino, 1.2% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Houston Public School District?

Houston Public School District has an equity score of 46/100, ranking #232 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.