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Aurora, Minnesota - 2 schools
An equity score of 56/100 ranks Mesabi East School District #158 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $15,497 per pupil, Mesabi East School District ranks #156 of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
889
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$15,497
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Mesabi East School District operates 2 public schools serving 889 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 St. Louis County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,497 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 31.4% local, 56.3% state, and 12.3% 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 56/100, ranked #158 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 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 431:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 36.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 87.3% White, 2.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American across the district's schools.
Its largest campus is Mesabi East Elementary, enrolling 470 students (55% of the district's total enrollment).
Mesabi East Elementary accounts for 52.9% of all Mesabi East School District student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Mesabi East School District a distant remainder — means Mesabi East School District-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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.
Mesabi East School District student-counselor ratio is 431:1 — 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.
Mesabi East School District chronic absenteeism rate is 36.6% — 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.
How many schools are in Mesabi East School District?
Mesabi East School District has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 889 students.
How much does Mesabi East School District spend per student?
Mesabi East School District spends $15,497 per student. The district has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #158 in Minnesota.
What is the demographic composition of Mesabi East School District?
Mesabi East School District students are 87.3% White, 2.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Mesabi East School District?
Mesabi East School District has an equity score of 56/100, ranking #158 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.