Pelican Rapids Public Schools operates 2 public schools serving 865 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 842 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Otter Tail County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $17,471 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 27.3% local, 54.6% state, and 18.1% 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. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $80,484 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 53/100, ranked #183 of 417 in Minnesota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 421:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 33.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.0% White, 34.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% African American across the district's schools.
Viking Elementary School accounts for 55.6% of all Pelican Rapids Public Schools student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Pelican Rapids 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.
Pelican Rapids Public Schools student-counselor ratio is 421:1 — 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.
Pelican Rapids Public Schools chronic absenteeism rate is 33.3% — 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 Pelican Rapids Public Schools?
Pelican Rapids Public Schools has 2 schools, including 2 other. Total enrollment is 865 students.
How much does Pelican Rapids Public Schools spend per student?
Pelican Rapids Public Schools spends $17,471 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #183 in Minnesota.
What is the average teacher salary in Pelican Rapids Public Schools?
The average teacher salary in Pelican Rapids Public Schools is $80,484 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Pelican Rapids Public Schools?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Otter Tail County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Pelican Rapids Public Schools?
Pelican Rapids Public Schools students are 51.0% White, 34.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% African American, 2.1% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Pelican Rapids Public Schools?
Pelican Rapids Public Schools has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #183 out of 417 districts in Minnesota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.