Sauk Centre 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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Sauk Centre, Minnesota - 3 schools

An equity score of 41/100 ranks Sauk Centre Public School District #265 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,680 per pupil, Sauk Centre Public School District ranks #304 of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,139
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$13,680
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Sauk Centre Public School District operates 3 public schools serving 1,139 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 elementary 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 Stearns County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,680 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 27.2% local, 62.0% state, and 10.8% 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 41/100, ranked #265 of 410 in Minnesota against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 597:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 13.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 78.5% White, 18.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Sauk Centre Middle, with a diversity index of 40.0/100.

Its largest campus is Sauk Centre Secondary, enrolling 597 students (54% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Sauk Centre Middle, at 139 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Sauk Centre Secondary accounts for 52.4% of all Sauk Centre Public School District student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Sauk Centre Public School District a distant remainder — means Sauk Centre Public 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Sauk Centre Public School District school enrollment varies 4.3× across entities

Sauk Centre Public School District school enrollment ranges from 139 students (lowest) to 597 students (highest), a spread of 458 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. 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 NCES Common Core of Data

Sauk Centre Public School District student-counselor ratio is 597:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 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 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Sauk Centre Public School District chronic absenteeism rate is 13.1% — low (typically associated with lower-than-average attendance disruption; districts in this range often have attendance interventions, robust transportation, or smaller catchments that reduce barriers)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Where does the funding come from?

10.8%
Federal
62.0%
State
27.2%
Local

Funding Equity

41
Equity Score
265 / 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 3 schools in Sauk Centre Public School District.

White 78.5%
Hispanic or Latino 18.2%
Multiracial 2.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 34.4/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Sauk Centre Middle 40.0
  2. 2 Sauk Centre Elementary 39.8
  3. 3 Sauk Centre Secondary 23.4

Programs & Resources

597:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
13.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Sauk Centre Public School District

School Enrollment
Sauk Centre Secondary
597
Sauk Centre Elementary
368
Sauk Centre Middle
139

How Sauk Centre Public School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools Similar size Higher spending Less locally funded
Crookston Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Seven Hills Preparatory Academy Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Roseau Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Luverne Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Sauk Centre 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.

Compare Sauk Centre 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 Sauk Centre Public School District?

Sauk Centre Public School District has 3 schools, including 2 combined, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 1,139 students.

How much does Sauk Centre Public School District spend per student?

Sauk Centre Public School District spends $13,680 per student. The district has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #265 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of Sauk Centre Public School District?

Sauk Centre Public School District students are 78.5% White, 18.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% African American, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Sauk Centre Public School District?

Sauk Centre Public School District has an equity score of 41/100, ranking #265 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.