Enrollment
506
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Baxter, MN
Baxter Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Baxter Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270609000248
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Baxter Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Baxter · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 29.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Baxter Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Baxter Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Baxter, MN.
School address
District: Brainerd Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270609000248 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.9%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Baxter Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Baxter Elementary
Baxter Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Baxter, Minnesota, enrolling 506 students.
At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 29.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 506 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 493 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #169.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
16.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Brainerd Public School District also operates Brainerd Senior High (1,805 students) and Forestview Middle (1,626 students) alongside Baxter 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 Baxter Elementary compares
Baxter 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.9% | ▼ 30% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 506 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
506
Bigger than 62% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 43% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,387
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 91.3%
Two or More 3.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
African American 1.8%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.4, Baxter Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Brainerd Public School District, which includes Baxter Elementary.
$14,387
Per student
-6%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 59.2%
Federal 11.8%
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 Baxter Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brainerd Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Riverside Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lowell Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Garfield Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Baxter Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,805
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,626
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 355
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
- Enrollment
- 250
- Students per teacher
- 9.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other 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 (~506 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Baxter Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Baxter Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Brainerd 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 Baxter Elementary
How many students attend Baxter Elementary?
Baxter Elementary has 506 students enrolled. It is a public school in Baxter, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Baxter Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Baxter Elementary is 13.7:1, which is 13% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 13% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Baxter Elementary?
29.9% of students at Baxter Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Baxter Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Baxter Elementary is White at 91.3% of enrollment, in Baxter, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Baxter Elementary?
Baxter Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Baxter Elementary rank among public schools in Baxter?
By Resource Investment Index, Baxter Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Baxter, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Baxter on the city page.
Is Baxter Elementary a good school?
Baxter Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also less 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 Brainerd Public School District?
Besides Baxter Elementary, Brainerd Public School District also operates Brainerd Senior High (1,805 students), Forestview Middle (1,626 students), and Riverside Elementary (407 students). See the Brainerd 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.