Enrollment
538
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Watford City, ND
Badlands Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Badlands Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 381254000414
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Badlands Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Watford City · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.8:1
- large classes for North Dakota
- 37.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Badlands Elementary School has class sizes larger than 87% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Badlands Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Watford City, ND.
School address
District: Mckenzie Co 1 · North Dakota
NCES ID 381254000414 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+34% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.3%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Badlands Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Badlands Elementary School
Badlands Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Watford City, North Dakota, enrolling 538 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.8:1 is larger than about 87% of North Dakota schools and 34% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 37.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Dakota, bigger than 91% of state schools at 538 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 98% of the 498 North Dakota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 32 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #31, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 538 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Mckenzie Co 1 also operates Fox Hills Elementary School (663 students) and Watford City High School (566 students) alongside Badlands Elementary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Badlands Elementary School compares
Badlands Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.8:1 | ▲ 34% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.3% | ▲ 32% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 538 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
538
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% above the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 34% above state mean
Top 87% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,892
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 538 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 61.0%
Hispanic or Latino 30.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.0%
Two or More 2.4%
African American 1.7%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 61.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.1, Badlands Elementary School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mckenzie Co 1, which includes Badlands Elementary School.
$15,892
Per student
-14%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 69.6%
State 17.3%
Federal 13.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Badlands Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Hills Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Watford City High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Watford City Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wolves Center Academy | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Badlands Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 663
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 509
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 30
- Students per teacher
- 30:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~538 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Badlands Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Badlands Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Mckenzie Co 1's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Badlands Elementary School
How many students attend Badlands Elementary School?
Badlands Elementary School has 538 students enrolled. It is a public school in Watford City, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Badlands Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Badlands Elementary School is 15.8:1, which is 34% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Badlands Elementary School?
37.3% of students at Badlands Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Badlands Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Badlands Elementary School is White at 61.0% of enrollment, in Watford City, ND. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Badlands Elementary School?
Badlands Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Badlands Elementary School rank among public schools in Watford City?
By Resource Investment Index, Badlands Elementary School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Watford City, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Watford City on the city page.
Is Badlands Elementary School a good school?
Badlands Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Mckenzie Co 1?
Besides Badlands Elementary School, Mckenzie Co 1 also operates Fox Hills Elementary School (663 students), Watford City High School (566 students), and Watford City Middle School (509 students). See the Mckenzie Co 1 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.