Enrollment
68
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 270297003501
Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed — Albert Lea, MN
Federal NCES profile for Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 47/100.
👥 Class size 64
🌟 Gifted program 30
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Albert Lea Public School District · Minnesota
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
-43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed reports 68 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 9:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 43% below the Minnesota state mean of 15.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 43% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 68.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 59% above the Minnesota average and 31% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Albert Lea Public School District spends $16,923 per pupil district-wide, below the Minnesota average of $21,113 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 17.8% from local sources (property taxes), 69.9% from the state, and 12.3% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D), calculated from 2 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Minnesota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9:1 | ▼ 43% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.1% | ▲ 59% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 68 | top 24% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
68.1%
free-lunch eligible
— 59% 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
9:1
students per teacher
— 43% below state mean
Top 14% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$16,923
per pupil, district-wide
— below Minnesota avg of $21,113
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
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
Enrollment 68 Top 24% in Minnesota — larger than 76% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 8.0
Students per teacher 9:1 -43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 68.1% +59% vs state
NCES ID 270297003501
Student demographics
White 69.1%
Hispanic or Latino 13.2%
Asian 8.8%
Two or More 5.9%
African American 2.9%
Largest group: White at 69.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Albert Lea Public School District, which includes Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed.
$16,923
Per student
-20%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 17.8%
State 69.9%
Federal 12.3%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 360
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
Similar other schools in Albert Lea
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Albert Lea Senior High
Standard public school
1,196 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Hawthorne Elementary
Standard public school
400 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Halverson Elementary
Standard public school
360 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Albert Lea Area Learning Center
Alternative education program
113 students 23.8:1 students per teacher
Albert Lea Secondary Online Academy
Standard public school
47 students
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed
How many students attend Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed?
Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed has 68 students enrolled. It is a other school in ALBERT LEA, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed?
The student-teacher ratio at Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed is 9:1, which is 43% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 43% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed?
68.1% of students at Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed?
The largest demographic group at Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed is White at 69.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in ALBERT LEA, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed?
Brookside Early Childhood Sp Ed has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (D) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.