Enrollment
515
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Blue Earth, MN
Blue Earth Area Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Blue Earth Area Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270013000241
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Blue Earth Area Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% of Minnesota schools.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Blue Earth · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 46.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Blue Earth Area Elementary has class sizes larger than 70% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Earth Area Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Blue Earth, MN.
School address
District: Blue Earth Area School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270013000241 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Blue Earth Area Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Blue Earth Area Elementary
Blue Earth Area Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Blue Earth, Minnesota, enrolling 515 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 46.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 515 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 307 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #246, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (24%) (diversity index 42/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Blue Earth Area School District spends $12,092 per pupil, 21% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Blue Earth Area School District also operates Blue Earth Area Secondary (378 students) and Blue Earth Area Middle (163 students) alongside Blue Earth Area 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 Blue Earth Area Elementary compares
Blue Earth Area 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 9% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.0% | ▲ 7% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 515 | top 24% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
515
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 9% above state mean
Top 70% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 30% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
29.3%
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
$12,092
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 72.6%
Hispanic or Latino 23.7%
Two or More 2.7%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 72.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.6, Blue Earth Area Elementary is about as mixed as the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Blue Earth Area School District, which includes Blue Earth Area Elementary.
$12,092
Per student
-21%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 22.7%
State 63.5%
Federal 13.8%
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 Blue Earth Area Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Earth Area Secondary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blue Earth Area Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blue Earth Area Early Childhood Spe | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Blue Earth Area Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 378
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 163
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 8
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~515 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Blue Earth Area Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Blue Earth Area Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Blue Earth Area 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 Blue Earth Area Elementary
How many students attend Blue Earth Area Elementary?
Blue Earth Area Elementary has 515 students enrolled. It is a public school in Blue Earth, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Blue Earth Area Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Blue Earth Area Elementary is 17.2:1, which is 9% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Blue Earth Area Elementary?
46.0% of students at Blue Earth Area Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Blue Earth Area Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Blue Earth Area Elementary is White at 72.6% of enrollment, in Blue Earth, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Blue Earth Area Elementary?
Blue Earth Area Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Blue Earth Area Elementary rank among schools in Blue Earth?
By Resource Investment Index, Blue Earth Area Elementary ranks #3 of 3 schools in Blue Earth, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Blue Earth on the city page.
Is Blue Earth Area Elementary a good school?
Blue Earth Area Elementary earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 70% 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 Blue Earth Area School District?
Besides Blue Earth Area Elementary, Blue Earth Area School District also operates Blue Earth Area Secondary (378 students), Blue Earth Area Middle (163 students), and Blue Earth Area Early Childhood Spe (8 students). See the Blue Earth Area 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.