Enrollment
574
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Austin, MN
Banfield Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Banfield Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270345000149
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Banfield Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Austin · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- students per teacher
- 53.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Banfield Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Banfield Elementary ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Austin, MN.
School address
District: Austin Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270345000149 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Banfield Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Banfield Elementary
Banfield Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Austin, Minnesota, enrolling 574 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 53.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 574 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 212 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #121.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 574 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Austin Public School District also operates Austin Senior High (1,485 students) and Ellis Middle (726 students) alongside Banfield Elementary.
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 Banfield Elementary compares
Banfield Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.6% | ▲ 25% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 574 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
574
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 61% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.6%
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
$14,871
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 574 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 38.9%
Hispanic or Latino 25.8%
Asian 18.1%
African American 9.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 4.2%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 38.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.8, Banfield Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Austin Public School District, which includes Banfield Elementary.
$14,871
Per student
-3%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.0%
State 68.0%
Federal 15.0%
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 Banfield Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ellis Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| I.J. Holton Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southgate Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sumner Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Banfield Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,485
- Students per teacher
- 31.6:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 726
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Minnesota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~574 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Banfield Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Banfield Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Austin Public School District'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 Banfield Elementary
How many students attend Banfield Elementary?
Banfield Elementary has 574 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Austin, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Banfield Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Banfield Elementary is 15.9:1, which is 1% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Banfield Elementary?
53.6% of students at Banfield Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Banfield Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Banfield Elementary is White at 38.9% of enrollment, in Austin, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Banfield Elementary?
Banfield Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (typical 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 Banfield Elementary rank among elementary schools in Austin?
By Resource Investment Index, Banfield Elementary ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Austin, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Austin on the city page.
Is Banfield Elementary a good school?
Banfield Elementary earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota 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 Austin Public School District?
Besides Banfield Elementary, Austin Public School District also operates Austin Senior High (1,485 students), Ellis Middle (726 students), and I.J. Holton Intermediate School (712 students). See the Austin Public School District 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.