STEP Academy

Public school district · Ramsey County · Minnesota · NCES district ID 2700367

STEP Academy spent $14,145 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 66% of the other Minnesota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $15,094). Its 3 schools enrolled 751 students in 2024-25; 84.1% of its revenue came from the state. Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 95% or more (Minnesota: 83.3%).

NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method

Spending per student among Minnesota districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to STEP Academy in enrollment (685 to 721 students) and STEP Academy itself.

Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to STEP Academy, FY23Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton $15,049; Ada-Borup-West $14,450; ISD#32 Blackduck Public Schools $14,423; STEP Academy $14,145; Murray County Central Schools $14,117; Cologne Academy $13,102; Lakeview Public Schools $13,080; Goodhue Public Schools $12,380; Barnum $12,118; Pact Charter School $11,608; State median, under 1,000 students $15,094.10k12k14k16kJanesville-Waldorf-Pemberton$15,049Ada-Borup-West$14,450ISD#32 Blackduck Public Schools$14,423STEP Academy$14,145Murray County Central Schools$14,117Cologne Academy$13,102Lakeview Public Schools$13,080Goodhue Public Schools$12,380Barnum$12,118Pact Charter School$11,608State median, under 1,000 students $15,094
Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to STEP Academy, FY23Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton $15,049; Ada-Borup-West $14,450; ISD#32 Blackduck Public Schools $14,423; STEP Academy $14,145; Murray County Central Schools $14,117; Cologne Academy $13,102; Lakeview Public Schools $13,080; Goodhue Public Schools $12,380; Barnum $12,118; Pact Charter School $11,608; State median, under 1,000 students $15,094.10k12k14k16kJanesville-Waldorf-Pemberton$15,049Ada-Borup-West$14,450ISD#32 Blackduck Public Schools$14,423STEP Academy$14,145Murray County Central Schools$14,117Cologne Academy$13,102Lakeview Public Schools$13,080Goodhue Public Schools$12,380Barnum$12,118Pact Charter School$11,608State median, under 1,000 students $15,094
Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to STEP Academy, FY23Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton $15,049; Ada-Borup-West $14,450; ISD#32 Blackduck Public Schools $14,423; STEP Academy $14,145; Murray County Central Schools $14,117; Cologne Academy $13,102; Lakeview Public Schools $13,080; Goodhue Public Schools $12,380; Barnum $12,118; Pact Charter School $11,608; State median, under 1,000 students $15,094.10k12k14k16kJanesville-Waldorf-Pemberton$15,049Ada-Borup-West$14,450ISD#32 Blackduck Public Schools$14,423STEP Academy$14,145Murray County Central Schools$14,117Cologne Academy$13,102Lakeview Public Schools$13,080Goodhue Public Schools$12,380Barnum$12,118Pact Charter School$11,608State median, under 1,000 students $15,094
Current spending per student, Minnesota districts closest in size to STEP Academy, FY23Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton $15,049; Ada-Borup-West $14,450; ISD#32 Blackduck Public Schools $14,423; STEP Academy $14,145; Murray County Central Schools $14,117; Cologne Academy $13,102; Lakeview Public Schools $13,080; Goodhue Public Schools $12,380; Barnum $12,118; Pact Charter School $11,608; State median, under 1,000 students $15,094.10k12k14k16kJanesville-Waldorf-Pemberton$15,049Ada-Borup-West$14,450ISD#32 Blackduck Public Schools$14,423STEP Academy$14,145Murray County Central Schools$14,117Cologne Academy$13,102Lakeview Public Schools$13,080Goodhue Public Schools$12,380Barnum$12,118Pact Charter School$11,608State median, under 1,000 students $15,094

Where the money came from

$10,146,000 in revenue: 84.1% state, 0.2% local and 15.7% federal. Total spending including $2,978,000 of capital outlay was $12,957,000, or $18,431 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

STEP Academy revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $8,536,000; Local $21,000; Federal $1,589,000; total $10,146,000.
  • State$8,536,000 84%
  • Local$21,000 0%
  • Federal$1,589,000 16%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 346 districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25

703 students in 2022-23, 843 students in 2023-24, 751 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

STEP Academy enrollment by school year2022-23: 703, 2023-24: 843, 2024-25: 75102505007501k2022-237032023-248432024-25751
STEP Academy enrollment by school year2022-23: 703, 2023-24: 843, 2024-25: 75102505007501k2022-237032023-248432024-25751
STEP Academy enrollment by school year2022-23: 703, 2023-24: 843, 2024-25: 75102505007501k2022-237032023-248432024-25751
STEP Academy enrollment by school year2022-23: 703, 2023-24: 843, 2024-25: 75102505007501k2022-237032023-248432024-25751

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2370341.117.1
2023-2484332.925.6
2024-2575148.415.5

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$2,566,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,650 per student

STEP Academy booked $2,566,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 42 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $60,936 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 44 in 100 Minnesota districts with a figure (state median $62,418, 464 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Minnesota teacher salary at $68,491 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$2,330,00090.8%
Special education$236,0009.2%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,353 in 2018-19, $3,432 in 2019-20, $3,236 in 2020-21, $3,937 in 2021-22, $3,650 in 2022-23.

STEP Academy teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,353, 2019-20: $3,432, 2020-21: $3,236, 2021-22: $3,937, 2022-23: $3,65001k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3532019-20$3,4322020-21$3,2362021-22$3,9372022-23$3,650
STEP Academy teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,353, 2019-20: $3,432, 2020-21: $3,236, 2021-22: $3,937, 2022-23: $3,65001k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3532019-20$3,4322020-21$3,2362021-22$3,9372022-23$3,650
STEP Academy teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,353, 2019-20: $3,432, 2020-21: $3,236, 2021-22: $3,937, 2022-23: $3,65001k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3532019-20$3,4322020-21$3,2362021-22$3,9372022-23$3,650
STEP Academy teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,353, 2019-20: $3,432, 2020-21: $3,236, 2021-22: $3,937, 2022-23: $3,65001k2k3k4k2018-19$3,3532019-20$3,4322020-21$3,2362021-22$3,9372022-23$3,650

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in STEP Academy scored proficient or above: 42% in reading and 16% in math, against 51.1% in reading and 44.8% in math across Minnesota. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Minnesota, not across states.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtMinnesotaStudents tested
Reading and language arts42%51.1%324
Math16%44.8%309

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

95% or more of the 69 students in STEP Academy's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.3% across Minnesota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtMinnesota
Four-year graduation rate95% or more83.3%
Students in the class6969,945

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

2 elementary schools, 385 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
STEP Academy Elementary21411.390.7%Schoolwide program
STEP Academy Kg-5th - Burnsville17112.993.0%Not reported

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

1 high school, 366 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Step Academy Charter School36622.889.1%Schoolwide program

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact STEP Academy

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about STEP Academy

  1. Minnesota districts by spending per studentSTEP Academy ranks 228 of 346 Minnesota districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,145).#228 of 346
  2. Every school district in MinnesotaSTEP Academy is the number 229 by size of 543 Minnesota districts, with 703 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#229 of 543
  3. Goodhue Public SchoolsThe next larger Minnesota district: 706 students in fall 2022, $12,380 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,380
  4. Janesville-Waldorf-PembertonThe next smaller Minnesota district: 697 students in fall 2022, $15,049 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,049
  5. Compare STEP Academy with Goodhue Public SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Step Academy Charter School, its largest high school366 students in 2024-25, 22.8 per teacher.366
  7. Teacher salary spending across MinnesotaSTEP Academy spent $60,936 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $62,418); spending, not a salary.$60,936
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about STEP Academy

  1. How many schools and students are in STEP Academy?
    3 schools were open in 2024-25 (2 elementary, 1 high), enrolling 751 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does STEP Academy spend per student?
    $14,145 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Minnesota median for districts with fewer than 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $15,094 and the U.S. figure is $16,260.
  3. Where does STEP Academy's money come from?
    $10,146,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 84.1% state, 0.2% local and 15.7% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How much does STEP Academy spend on teacher salaries?
    $2,566,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,650 per student. Divided by the 42 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $60,936 per teacher, more than 44 in 100 Minnesota districts (state median $62,418). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Minnesota teacher salary at $68,491 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  5. How do students in STEP Academy do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in STEP Academy scored proficient or above: 42% in reading and 16% in math, against 51.1% in reading and 44.8% in math across Minnesota. Minnesota's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  6. What is the graduation rate in STEP Academy?
    95% or more of the 69 students in STEP Academy's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 83.3% across Minnesota. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  7. What is STEP Academy's NCES district ID?
    2700367. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25

Compiled from official source data by .