South St. Paul Public School Dist

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.

South Saint Paul, Minnesota - 7 schools

An equity score of 49/100 ranks South St. Paul Public School Dist #204 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,850 per pupil, South St. Paul Public School Dist ranks #242 of 509 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,048
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$14,850
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

South St. Paul Public School Dist operates 7 public schools serving 3,048 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 2 high, 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 Dakota County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,850 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 509 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending. See how Minnesota compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 25.6% local, 62.3% state, and 12.0% 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 49/100, ranked #204 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.

a 288.9:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 44.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 46.6% White, 33.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is S St. Paul Community Lrng. Cntr., with a diversity index of 70.5/100.

Its largest campus is South St. Paul High School, enrolling 866 students (30% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Ssp Virtual, at 3 students, a 289x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

South St. Paul High School accounts for 28.4% of all South St. Paul Public School Dist student enrollment

That dominant concentration means South St. Paul Public School Dist-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

South St. Paul Public School Dist school enrollment varies 289× across entities

South St. Paul Public School Dist school enrollment ranges from 3 students (lowest) to 866 students (highest), a spread of 863 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. 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

South St. Paul Public School Dist student-counselor ratio is 289:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Variation between sub-units within South St. Paul Public School Dist is typically wider than the South St. Paul Public School Dist-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

South St. Paul Public School Dist chronic absenteeism rate is 44.0% — 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?

12.0%
Federal
62.3%
State
25.6%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
204 / 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 7 schools in South St. Paul Public School Dist.

White 46.6%
Hispanic or Latino 33.8%
African American 8.0%
Asian 3.0%
Multiracial 8.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 63.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across South St. Paul Public School Dist's schools, above the Minnesota average of 42.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 S St. Paul Community Lrng. Cntr. 70.5
  2. 2 Kaposia Education Center Elementary 68.6
  3. 3 South St. Paul Middle School 67.2
  4. 4 Lincoln Center Elementary 67.1
  5. 5 South St. Paul High School 64.3

Programs & Resources

288.9:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
44.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in South St. Paul Public School Dist

School Enrollment
South St. Paul High School
866
Lincoln Center Elementary
670
Kaposia Education Center Elementary
620
South St. Paul Middle School
535
S St. Paul Community Lrng. Cntr.
99
Early Childhood Special Ed Program
68
Ssp Virtual
3

How South St. Paul Public School Dist Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Fergus Falls Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Mahtomedi Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Big Lake Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Orono Public School District Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Becker Public School District Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to South St. Paul Public School Dist'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 South St. Paul Public School Dist

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 South St. Paul Public School Dist?

South St. Paul Public School Dist has 7 schools, including 2 high, 4 combined, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 3,048 students.

How much does South St. Paul Public School Dist spend per student?

South St. Paul Public School Dist spends $14,850 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #204 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of South St. Paul Public School Dist?

South St. Paul Public School Dist students are 46.6% White, 33.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% African American, 3.0% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for South St. Paul Public School Dist?

South St. Paul Public School Dist has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #204 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.