Enrollment
632
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Big Lake, MN
Big Lake Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Big Lake Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 9/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 270546002462
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Lake Middle School earns 9/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Minnesota schools.
- #7 of 7
- public schools in Big Lake · Resource Index
- 9
- Resource Index · Lower
- 26.3:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 30.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Big Lake Middle School has class sizes larger than 93% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Lake Middle School ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Big Lake, MN.
School address
District: Big Lake Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270546002462 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.3:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+66% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.5%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Lake Middle School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Lake Middle School
Big Lake Middle School is a mid-sized middle school in Big Lake, Minnesota, enrolling 632 students.
Class loads run heavy: 26.3:1 is larger than about 93% of Minnesota schools and 66% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 632 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 462 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #460, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (8%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 632 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Big Lake Public School District also operates Big Lake Senior High (902 students) and Independence Elementary (758 students) alongside Big Lake Middle 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 Big Lake Middle School compares
Big Lake Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26.3:1 | ▲ 66% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.5% | ▼ 29% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 632 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
26.3:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
632
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
26.3:1
students per teacher
- 66% above state mean
Top 93% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 7% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
36.9%
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
$12,520
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 632 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
28
in-school suspensions + 72 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.8 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 74.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.4%
Two or More 8.2%
African American 5.2%
Asian 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 74.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.3, Big Lake Middle School is about as mixed as the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Big Lake Public School District, which includes Big Lake Middle School.
$12,520
Per student
-18%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.9%
State 64.0%
Federal 8.1%
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 Big Lake Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Independence Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Big Lake Online 6-12 | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Big Lake Online K-5 | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Big Lake Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 758
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 118
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 55/100
Similar middle 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 (~632 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~26.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Lake Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Big Lake Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Big Lake 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 Big Lake Middle School
How many students attend Big Lake Middle School?
Big Lake Middle School has 632 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Big Lake, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Lake Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Lake Middle School is 26.3:1, which is 66% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 68% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Lake Middle School?
30.5% of students at Big Lake Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Lake Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Big Lake Middle School is White at 74.8% of enrollment, in Big Lake, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Lake Middle School?
Big Lake Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 9/100 (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 Big Lake Middle School rank among public schools in Big Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Lake Middle School ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Big Lake, 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 Big Lake on the city page.
Is Big Lake Middle School a good school?
Big Lake Middle School earns 9/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of 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 Big Lake Public School District?
Besides Big Lake Middle School, Big Lake Public School District also operates Big Lake Senior High (902 students), Independence Elementary (758 students), and Liberty Elementary (756 students). See the Big Lake 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.