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Saint Paul, Minnesota - 3 schools
An equity score of 58/100 ranks Step Academy #140 of 410 districts in Minnesota (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $14,116 per pupil, Step Academy ranks #268 of 504 Minnesota districts by per-pupil spending (Minnesota districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
703
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$14,116
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, Combined
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Step Academy operates 3 public schools serving 703 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Minnesota. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary, 1 combined 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 Ramsey County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,116 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 0.3% local, 76.9% state, and 22.9% 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 58/100, ranked #140 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.
and 18.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 99.1% African American, 0.4% White, 0.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Step Academy Charter School, with a diversity index of 2.2/100.
Its largest campus is Step Academy Charter School, enrolling 366 students (49% of the district's total enrollment).
Step Academy Charter School accounts for 48.7% of all Step Academy student enrollment
That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Step Academy a distant remainder — means Step Academy-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.
Step Academy school enrollment varies 2.1× across entities
Step Academy school enrollment ranges from 171 students (lowest) to 366 students (highest), a spread of 195 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.
Step Academy has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 65.8% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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.
Step Academy chronic absenteeism rate is 18.8% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
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 Variation between sub-units within Step Academy is typically wider than the Step Academy-aggregate figure suggests.
Step Academy has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 703 students.
How much does Step Academy spend per student?
Step Academy spends $14,116 per student. The district has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #140 in Minnesota.
What is the demographic composition of Step Academy?
Step Academy students are 99.1% African American, 0.4% White, 0.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.1% Asian, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Step Academy?
Step Academy has an equity score of 58/100, ranking #140 out of 410 districts in Minnesota.