Enrollment
228
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Saint Paul, MN
Cherokee Heights Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cherokee Heights Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 273384001566
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 54
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherokee Heights Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #40 of 86
- schools in Saint Paul · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.7:1
- students per teacher
- 75.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Cherokee Heights Elementary School has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Heights Elementary School ranks #40 of 86 schools in Saint Paul, MN.
School address
District: Saint Paul Public Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 273384001566 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.7:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
75.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+75% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cherokee Heights Elementary School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cherokee Heights Elementary School
Cherokee Heights Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, enrolling 228 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 75.1% of students qualify for free meals, 75% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 228 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 98 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #32.
Its student body is led by African American (29%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 77/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 228 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 39.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Saint Paul Public Schools spends $20,457 per pupil, 34% above the Minnesota average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Saint Paul Public Schools also operates Central Senior High (1,682 students) and Harding Senior High (1,591 students) alongside Cherokee Heights Elementary School.
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 Cherokee Heights Elementary School compares
Cherokee Heights Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.7:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 75.1% | ▲ 75% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 228 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.7:1
Leaner classes than 69% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
228
Bigger than 23% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
75.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 75% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12.7:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 34% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
39.9%
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
$20,457
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 228 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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
African American 28.5%
Hispanic or Latino 26.8%
White 24.6%
Two or More 13.6%
Asian 5.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 28.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 76.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 76.5, Cherokee Heights Elementary School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saint Paul Public Schools, which includes Cherokee Heights Elementary School.
$20,457
Per student
+34%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
+23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.8%
State 53.2%
Federal 21.0%
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 Cherokee Heights Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Harding Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Highland Park Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Johnson Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Capitol Hill Magnet/Rondo | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cherokee Heights Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,682
- Students per teacher
- 23:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,591
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,392
- Students per teacher
- 25.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,066
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~228 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherokee Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cherokee Heights Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Saint Paul Public 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 Cherokee Heights Elementary School
How many students attend Cherokee Heights Elementary School?
Cherokee Heights Elementary School has 228 students enrolled. It is a public school in Saint Paul, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Heights Elementary School is 12.7:1, which is 20% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 19% 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 Cherokee Heights Elementary School?
75.1% of students at Cherokee Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cherokee Heights Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cherokee Heights Elementary School is African American at 28.5% of enrollment, in Saint Paul, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 76.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherokee Heights Elementary School?
Cherokee Heights Elementary School 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 Cherokee Heights Elementary School rank among schools in Saint Paul?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Heights Elementary School ranks #40 of 86 schools in Saint Paul, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Saint Paul on the city page.
Is Cherokee Heights Elementary School a good school?
Cherokee Heights Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Saint Paul Public Schools?
Besides Cherokee Heights Elementary School, Saint Paul Public Schools also operates Central Senior High (1,682 students), Harding Senior High (1,591 students), and Highland Park Senior High (1,392 students). See the Saint Paul Public 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.