Enrollment
627
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Williston, ND
Bakken Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Bakken Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 380040500913
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bakken Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Dakota median.
- #9 of 10
- elementary schools in Williston · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 12.8:1
- students per teacher
- 21.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Bakken Elementary School has class sizes near the North Dakota median. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bakken Elementary School ranks #9 of 10 elementary schools in Williston, ND.
School address
District: Williston Basin 7 · North Dakota
NCES ID 380040500913 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
21.5%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bakken Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bakken Elementary School
Bakken Elementary School is a large elementary school in Williston, North Dakota, enrolling 627 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 21.5% lands close to the North Dakota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Dakota, bigger than 94% of state schools at 627 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 55 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #52, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 627 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Williston Basin 7 spends $13,430 per pupil, 27% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Williston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Hagan Elementary School (486 students): Bakken Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.8:1 vs 15.7:1).
Williston Basin 7 also operates Williston High School (1,370 students) and Hagan Elementary School (486 students) alongside Bakken 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 Bakken Elementary School compares
Bakken 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 | 12.8:1 | ▲ 8% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 21.5% | ▼ 24% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 627 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
627
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
21.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below 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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 65% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 35% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
33.7%
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
$13,430
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 627 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Williston Basin 7, which includes Bakken Elementary School.
$13,430
Per student
-27%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.8%
State 50.4%
Federal 5.8%
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 Bakken Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williston High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hagan Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Williston Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mcvay Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Missouri Ridge Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bakken Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,370
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 485
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 449
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 397
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
Similar elementary schools in Williston
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Hagan Elementary School
Standard public school
486 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Mcvay Elementary School
Standard public school
449 students 23.6:1 students per teacher
Missouri Ridge Middle School
Standard public school
397 students 13.2:1 students per teacher
Rickard Elementary School
Standard public school
319 students 14.5:1 students per teacher
Lewis and Clark Elementary School
Standard public school
303 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Wilkinson Elementary School
Standard public school
301 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~627 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bakken Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Bakken Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Williston Basin 7'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 Bakken Elementary School
How many students attend Bakken Elementary School?
Bakken Elementary School has 627 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Williston, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bakken Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bakken Elementary School is 12.8:1, which is 8% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 18% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bakken Elementary School?
21.5% of students at Bakken Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bakken Elementary School?
Bakken 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 Bakken Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Williston?
By Resource Investment Index, Bakken Elementary School ranks #9 of 10 elementary schools in Williston, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Williston on the city page.
Is Bakken Elementary School a good school?
Bakken Elementary School earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Dakota median. 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 Williston Basin 7?
Besides Bakken Elementary School, Williston Basin 7 also operates Williston High School (1,370 students), Hagan Elementary School (486 students), and Williston Middle School (485 students). See the Williston Basin 7 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.