Enrollment
921
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 273180005406
Dakota Middle School — Rochester, MN
Federal NCES profile for Dakota Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 0/100.
👥 Class size 0
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: Rochester 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)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
38.7:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
+143% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dakota Middle School 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
Dakota Middle School reports 921 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 25.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 38.7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 143% above the Minnesota state mean of 15.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 143% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 33.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 21% below the Minnesota average and 35% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Rochester Public School District spends $22,548 per pupil district-wide, above the Minnesota average of $21,113 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 26.9% from local sources (property taxes), 63.1% from the state, and 10.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 0/100 (F), calculated from 1 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 Dakota Middle School 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 | 38.7:1 | ▲ 143% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.7% | ▼ 21% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 921 | top 93% | — | — |
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
33.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 21% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
38.7:1
students per teacher
— 143% above state mean
Top 98% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Funding equity
$22,548
per pupil, district-wide
— above Minnesota avg of $21,113
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Overview
Enrollment 921 Top 93% in Minnesota — larger than 7% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 25.0
Students per teacher 38.7:1 +143% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 33.7% -21% vs state
NCES ID 273180005406
Student demographics
White 49.1%
African American 18.8%
Asian 13.9%
Two or More 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 49.1% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rochester Public School District, which includes Dakota Middle School.
$22,548
Per student
+7%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
+16%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 26.9%
State 63.1%
Federal 10.0%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,787
- Students per teacher
- 45.4:1
- Enrollment
- 1,608
- Students per teacher
- 44.7:1
- Enrollment
- 1,549
- Students per teacher
- 43.7:1
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 38.5:1
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 44.5:1
Similar middle schools in Rochester
5 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
John Adams Middle
Standard public school
867 students 38.5:1 students per teacher
Willow Creek Middle
Standard public school
864 students 44.5:1 students per teacher
Kellogg Middle
Standard public school
769 students 40.8:1 students per teacher
Rps Online Middle School
Standard public school
73 students 9.1:1 students per teacher
Middle School Right Fit
Standard public school
26 students 6.5:1 students per teacher
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 Dakota Middle School
How many students attend Dakota Middle School?
Dakota Middle School has 921 students enrolled. It is a middle school in ROCHESTER, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dakota Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dakota Middle School is 38.7:1, which is 143% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 143% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dakota Middle School?
33.7% of students at Dakota Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dakota Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Dakota Middle School is White at 49.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in ROCHESTER, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dakota Middle School?
Dakota Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 0/100 (F) based on 1 factor: 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.