Enrollment
656
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Saint Michael, MN
Big Woods Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Big Woods Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 273379004187
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 71
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Woods Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Minnesota schools.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Saint Michael · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 13.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Big Woods Elementary has class sizes larger than 81% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Woods Elementary ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Saint Michael, MN.
School address
District: St. Michael-Albertville Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 273379004187 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-70% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Woods Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Woods Elementary
Big Woods Elementary is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Saint Michael, Minnesota, enrolling 656 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.0% free-meal eligibility runs 70% below the Minnesota average.
Enrollment of 656 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 323 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #158.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and Two or More (8%) (diversity index 39/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 1312 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
11.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding St. Michael-Albertville Schools spends $10,761 per pupil, 30% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
St. Michael-Albertville Schools also operates St. Michael-Albertville Senior High (2,204 students) and St. Michael-Albertville Middle West (1,076 students) alongside Big Woods 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 Big Woods Elementary compares
Big Woods 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 | 19.3:1 | ▲ 22% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.0% | ▼ 70% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 656 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
656
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 70% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 22% above state mean
Top 81% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,761
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
31
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.7 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 77.4%
Two or More 8.4%
African American 5.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
Asian 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 77.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.7, Big Woods Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Michael-Albertville Schools, which includes Big Woods Elementary.
$10,761
Per student
-30%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.0%
State 70.0%
Federal 7.1%
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 Woods Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Michael-Albertville Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Michael-Albertville Middle West | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Michael-Albertville Middle East | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Michael Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fieldstone Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Woods Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,204
- Students per teacher
- 25.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 48.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 959
- Students per teacher
- 41.7:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 654
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 585
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~656 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Woods Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Big Woods Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- St. Michael-Albertville Schools'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 Woods Elementary
How many students attend Big Woods Elementary?
Big Woods Elementary has 656 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Saint Michael, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Woods Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Woods Elementary is 19.3:1, which is 22% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Woods Elementary?
13.0% of students at Big Woods Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Woods Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Big Woods Elementary is White at 77.4% of enrollment, in Saint Michael, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Woods Elementary?
Big Woods Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Big Woods Elementary rank among elementary schools in Saint Michael?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Woods Elementary ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Saint Michael, 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 Saint Michael on the city page.
Is Big Woods Elementary a good school?
Big Woods Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 St. Michael-Albertville Schools?
Besides Big Woods Elementary, St. Michael-Albertville Schools also operates St. Michael-Albertville Senior High (2,204 students), St. Michael-Albertville Middle West (1,076 students), and St. Michael-Albertville Middle East (959 students). See the St. Michael-Albertville Schools 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.