Enrollment
413
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · North Saint Paul, MN
Cowern Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cowern Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 272385001168
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cowern Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #6 of 10
- public schools in North Saint Paul · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 57.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Cowern Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cowern Elementary ranks #6 of 10 public schools in North Saint Paul, MN.
School address
District: North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale · Minnesota
NCES ID 272385001168 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
57.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cowern Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cowern Elementary
Cowern Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in North Saint Paul, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 57.6% of students eligible for free meals.
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 206 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #105.
Its student body is led by Asian (33%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 78/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale also operates Tartan Senior High (1,687 students) and North Senior High (1,649 students) alongside Cowern 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 Cowern Elementary compares
Cowern 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 | 57.6% | ▲ 35% | 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
57.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% 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
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
40.2%
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
$15,432
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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
Asian 33.2%
African American 21.1%
White 19.6%
Hispanic or Latino 13.8%
Two or More 11.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: Asian at 33.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 77.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 77.5, Cowern Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale, which includes Cowern Elementary.
$15,432
Per student
+1%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-7%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 57.9%
Federal 12.7%
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 Cowern Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tartan Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Glenn Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Skyview Community Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carver Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cowern Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,687
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 1,649
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,073
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,029
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
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 Cowern Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cowern Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale'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 Cowern Elementary
How many students attend Cowern Elementary?
Cowern Elementary has 413 students enrolled. It is a public school in North Saint Paul, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cowern Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cowern 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 Cowern Elementary?
57.6% of students at Cowern Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cowern Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cowern Elementary is Asian at 33.2% of enrollment, in North Saint Paul, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 77.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cowern Elementary?
Cowern Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical 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 Cowern Elementary rank among public schools in North Saint Paul?
By Resource Investment Index, Cowern Elementary ranks #6 of 10 public schools in North Saint Paul, 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 North Saint Paul on the city page.
Is Cowern Elementary a good school?
Cowern Elementary earns 38/100 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 North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale?
Besides Cowern Elementary, North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale also operates Tartan Senior High (1,687 students), North Senior High (1,649 students), and John Glenn Middle (1,073 students). See the North St. Paul-Maplewood Oakdale 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.