St. Louis County 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.

Virginia, Minnesota - 9 schools

An equity score of 70/100 ranks St. Louis County School District #72 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $17,445 per pupil, St. Louis County School District ranks #75 of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,954
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
$17,445
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

St. Louis County School District operates 9 public schools serving 1,954 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 9 combined schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. 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 $17,445 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 29.9% local, 58.7% state, and 11.4% 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 70/100, ranked #72 of 410 in Minnesota against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 419.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 36.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 76.2% White, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Tower-Soudan Elementary, with a diversity index of 65.6/100.

Its largest campus is South Ridge Elementary, enrolling 303 students (16% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Tower-Soudan Elementary, at 95 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

South Ridge Elementary accounts for 15.5% of all St. Louis County School District student enrollment

That concentration means St. Louis County 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

St. Louis County School District school enrollment varies 3.2× across entities

St. Louis County School District school enrollment ranges from 95 students (lowest) to 303 students (highest), a spread of 208 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

St. Louis County School District student-counselor ratio is 420:1 — 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. Louis County School District chronic absenteeism rate is 36.1% — 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?

11.4%
Federal
58.7%
State
29.9%
Local

Funding Equity

70
Equity Score
72 / 410
State Rank
50
State Average

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

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in St. Louis County School District.

White 76.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
Multiracial 9.3%
Other 10.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 36.8/100

Average Simpson diversity index across St. Louis County School District's schools, below the Minnesota average of 42.8.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Tower-Soudan Elementary 65.6
  2. 2 North Woods Secondary 53.8
  3. 3 North Woods Elementary 43.9
  4. 4 South Ridge Secondary 38.7
  5. 5 Northeast Range Secondary 31.0

Programs & Resources

419.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
36.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in St. Louis County School District

School Enrollment
South Ridge Elementary
303
Cherry Elementary
297
Cherry Secondary
273
South Ridge Secondary
258
North Woods Secondary
245
North Woods Elementary
234
Northeast Range Secondary
114
Babbitt Elementary
95
Tower-Soudan Elementary
95

How St. Louis County School District Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Minnesota districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Tri-City United School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Foley Public School District Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Proctor Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
East Grand Forks Public Schools Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Annandale Public School District Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to St. Louis County 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 St. Louis County 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 St. Louis County School District?

St. Louis County School District has 9 schools, including 9 combined. Total enrollment is 1,954 students.

How much does St. Louis County School District spend per student?

St. Louis County School District spends $17,445 per student. The district has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #72 in Minnesota.

What is the demographic composition of St. Louis County School District?

St. Louis County School District students are 76.2% White, 3.0% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for St. Louis County School District?

St. Louis County School District has an equity score of 70/100, ranking #72 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.