Enrollment
413
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Norwood Young America, MN
Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 272391001187
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Norwood Young America · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 19.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Central Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Norwood Young America, MN.
School address
District: Central Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 272391001187 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central Elementary
Central Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, enrolling 413 students.
At 13.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.1% free-meal eligibility runs 55% below the Minnesota average.
Enrollment of 413 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 354 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #137.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and Hispanic or Latino (10%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 207 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Central Public School District also operates Central Senior High (337 students) and Central Middle (216 students) alongside Central 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 Central Elementary compares
Central 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.1% | ▼ 55% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 413 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
413
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 44% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.5%
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
$12,914
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 207 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
14
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.6 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 79.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.2%
Two or More 7.7%
African American 2.4%
Largest group: White at 79.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.8, Central Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Central Public School District, which includes Central Elementary.
$12,914
Per student
-15%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.5%
State 58.3%
Federal 12.2%
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 Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Central Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 337
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 216
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~413 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Central 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 Central Elementary
How many students attend Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has 413 students enrolled. It is a public school in Norwood Young America, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Central Elementary is 13.8:1, which is 13% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 12% 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 Central Elementary?
19.1% of students at Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Central Elementary is White at 79.7% of enrollment, in Norwood Young America, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central Elementary?
Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Central Elementary rank among public schools in Norwood Young America?
By Resource Investment Index, Central Elementary ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Norwood Young America, 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 Norwood Young America on the city page.
Is Central Elementary a good school?
Central Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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 Central Public School District?
Besides Central Elementary, Central Public School District also operates Central Senior High (337 students) and Central Middle (216 students). See the Central Public School District district page for the complete list.
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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.