Enrollment
8
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sartell, MN
Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers
Federal NCES profile for Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270007105287
👥 S:T ratio 89
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Minnesota.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Sartell · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 2.7:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 70.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers has class sizes smaller than 99% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Sartell, MN.
School address
District: Benton-Stearns Education District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270007105287 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
3.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
2.7:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-83% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers
Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers is a higher-need, small elementary school in Sartell, Minnesota, enrolling 8 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 2.7:1, Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers is leaner than roughly 99% of Minnesota schools and 83% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 70.0% of students qualify for free meals, 64% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of Minnesota schools, with 8 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 24 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #14.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Two or More (25%) (diversity index 38/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 62.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 6 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 8 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Benton-Stearns Education District also operates Benton-Stearns Ed District Ec (99 students) and Benton-Stearns Education District (24 students) alongside Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers.
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 Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers compares
Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 2.7:1 | ▼ 83% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.0% | ▲ 64% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 8 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
2.7:1
Leaner classes than 100% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
8
Bigger than 1% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
2.7:1
students per teacher
- 83% below state mean
Top 1% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 99% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
62.5%
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.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 75.0 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 75.0%
Two or More 25.0%
Largest group: White at 75.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.5, Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
How Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton-Stearns Ed District Ec | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benton-Stearns Education District | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benton Stearns Education District 1 | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Benton-Stearns Education - Asd | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
| Grafton School | Larger | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 99
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- 6:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 12
- Students per teacher
- 6:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
- Enrollment
- 10
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
- Resource Index
- 80/100
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 (~8 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers's federal record.
- Compare Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers against another school. Compare schools
- Benton-Stearns Education 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 Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers
How many students attend Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers?
Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers has 8 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sartell, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers?
The student-teacher ratio at Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers is 2.7:1, which is 83% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 83% 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 Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers?
70.0% of students at Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers?
The largest demographic group at Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers is White at 75.0% of enrollment, in Sartell, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers?
Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers rank among elementary schools in Sartell?
By Resource Investment Index, Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Sartell, 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 Sartell on the city page.
Is Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers a good school?
Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Minnesota. 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 Benton-Stearns Education District?
Besides Benton-Stearns Education Pioneers, Benton-Stearns Education District also operates Benton-Stearns Ed District Ec (99 students), Benton-Stearns Education District (24 students), and Benton Stearns Education District 1 (17 students). See the Benton-Stearns Education 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.