2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 270807002234
Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. — Cass Lake, MN
Federal NCES profile for Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr., including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
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 →
The verdict
Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. earns a D Resource Investment Index (40/100), with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
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.
Enrollment
94
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
▲-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
▲+91% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
Smaller classes than state median
15.9:1 Minnesota median15.7:1 U.S. median
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
Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. reports 94 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 8.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 22% 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 15.7:1, it is 21% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 81.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 91% above the Minnesota average and 58% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 94 students per counselor, meeting the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 100.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools spends $22,334 per pupil district-wide, above the Minnesota average of $15,270 and above the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 13.3% from local sources (property taxes), 52.2% from the state, and 34.6% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
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
12.4:1
▼ 22%
15.9:1
15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible
81.8%
▲ 91%
42.8%
51.8%
Enrollment
94
top 29%
—
—
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
Class size vs. every US school
Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)
12Among the smallest classessmaller classes than 75% of 92,598 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25
School size vs. every US school
Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')
94larger than 9% of 95,891 US schools
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 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
81.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 91% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
— 22% below state mean
Top 31% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
100.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$22,334
per pupil, district-wide
— above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 94 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment94 Top 29% in Minnesota — larger than 71% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE)8.0
Students per teacher 12.4:1 -22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 81.8% +91% vs state
NCES ID270807002234
Student demographics
American Indian / Alaska Native
95.7% · ≈90 students
White
4.3% · ≈4 students
American Indian / Alaska Native95.7%
White4.3%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 95.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE)1.0
Students per counselor94:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent100.0%
In-school suspensions3
Out-of-school suspensions12
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools, which includes Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr..
$22,334
Per student
+46%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
+35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local13.3%
State52.2%
Federal34.6%
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.
Treat this page as the federal baseline — then verify locally.
Compare Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. side-by-side with another school you're considering on the same NCES measures. Compare schools →
Read the district context — spending per pupil, staffing, and equity ranking are district-level decisions that shape this school. District profile →
Confirm current enrollment windows, programs, and boundaries with the school directly — federal data lags the current school year. Choosing guide →
Figures are the school's reported federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) — coverage varies by entity type, and PlainSchools does not rate or rank schools.
Frequently asked questions about Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr.
How many students attend Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr.?
Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. has 94 students enrolled. It is a other school in Cass Lake, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr.?
The student-teacher ratio at Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. is 12.4:1, which is 22% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 21% 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 Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr.?
81.8% of students at Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr.?
The largest demographic group at Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. is American Indian / Alaska Native at 95.7%. The school serves a student body in Cass Lake, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr.?
Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.
Is Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. a good school?
Cass Lake-Bena Area Lrng. Cntr. earns a D Resource Investment Index (40/100), with class sizes near the Minnesota median. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.