ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

WAITE PARK, Minnesota — 19 schools

9,286
Total Enrollment
19
Schools
$20,297
Per-Pupil Spending
Other, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT operates 19 public schools serving 9,286 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 12 other, 3 elementary, 2 high, 2 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 9,732 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Stearns County County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $20,297 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 18.7% local, 61.7% state, and 19.7% 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 $104,183 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 70/100, ranked #63 of 417 in Minnesota against a state average of 50 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 19 schools offering Advanced Placement (26 AP courses district-wide), a 367.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 36.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 40.8% White, 36.6% African American, 11.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Technical Senior High accounts for 16.0% of all ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment varies 260× across entities

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT school enrollment ranges from 6 students (lowest) to 1,561 students (highest), a spread of 1,555 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 NCES Common Core of Data

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 65.0% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT student-counselor ratio is 367:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC 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.

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

Where does the funding come from?

19.7%
Federal
61.7%
State
18.7%
Local

Funding Equity

70
Equity Score
63 / 417
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Stearns County county, where this district is located.

$874
Studio/mo
$919
1 BR/mo
$1,206
2 BR/mo
$1,604
3 BR/mo
$1,873
4 BR/mo

Average Teacher Salary

$104,183
Average annual teacher salary

Source: NCES CCD F-33 (Finance Survey).

Teacher salary data from NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 19 schools in ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT.

White 40.8%
Hispanic or Latino 11.2%
African American 36.6%
Asian 1.9%
Multiracial 8.6%
Other 0.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

2 / 19
Schools with AP
26 AP courses total
367.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
36.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT has 19 schools, including 2 high, 12 other, 2 middle, 3 elementary. Total enrollment is 9,286 students.

How much does ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT spend per student?

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT spends $20,297 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #63 in Minnesota.

What is the average teacher salary in ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?

The average teacher salary in ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT is $104,183 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.

What is the average rent near ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Stearns County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT students are 40.8% White, 36.6% African American, 11.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.9% Asian, averaged across 19 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT?

ST. CLOUD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #63 out of 417 districts in Minnesota. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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