Enrollment
384
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fargo, ND
Deer Creek Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Deer Creek Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 381941000897
👥 S:T ratio 58
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Deer Creek Elementary School earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Dakota median.
- #5 of 20
- elementary schools in Fargo · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.4:1
- students per teacher
- 5.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Deer Creek Elementary School has class sizes near the North Dakota median. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Deer Creek Elementary School ranks #5 of 20 elementary schools in Fargo, ND.
School address
District: West Fargo 6 · North Dakota
NCES ID 381941000897 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.4:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
5.8%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
-79% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Deer Creek Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Deer Creek Elementary School
Deer Creek Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Fargo, North Dakota, enrolling 384 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of North Dakota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 5.8% free-meal eligibility runs 79% below the North Dakota average.
Enrollment of 384 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Among 64 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and African American (10%) (diversity index 37/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 384 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The surrounding West Fargo 6 spends $13,475 per pupil, 27% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Fargo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Centennial Elementary School (639 students): Deer Creek Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.4:1 vs 16.4:1).
West Fargo 6 also operates West Fargo Sheyenne High School (1,400 students) and West Fargo High School (1,380 students) alongside Deer Creek 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 Deer Creek Elementary School compares
Deer Creek Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.4:1 | ▼ 12% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 5.8% | ▼ 79% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 384 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.4:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
384
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
5.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 79% below the North Dakota average of 28.2%
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
10.4:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 39% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 61% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
4.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$13,475
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 384 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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 78.4%
African American 9.6%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 3.1%
Hispanic or Latino 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: White at 78.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.3, Deer Creek Elementary School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Fargo 6, which includes Deer Creek Elementary School.
$13,475
Per student
-27%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 35.6%
State 52.9%
Federal 11.4%
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 Deer Creek Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Fargo Sheyenne High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Fargo High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cheney Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Heritage Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Deer Creek Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,400
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,380
- Students per teacher
- 13.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,103
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 1,006
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 799
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar elementary schools in Fargo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Centennial Elementary School
Standard public school
639 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Bennett Elementary School
Standard public school
622 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Osgood Elem School
Standard public school
554 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Independence Elementary School
Standard public school
553 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Kennedy Elementary School
Standard public school
469 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Willow Park Elementary School
Standard public school
461 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~384 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Deer Creek Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Deer Creek Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- West Fargo 6'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 Deer Creek Elementary School
How many students attend Deer Creek Elementary School?
Deer Creek Elementary School has 384 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fargo, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Deer Creek Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Deer Creek Elementary School is 10.4:1, which is 12% lower than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 34% 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 Deer Creek Elementary School?
5.8% of students at Deer Creek Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Deer Creek Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Deer Creek Elementary School is White at 78.4% of enrollment, in Fargo, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Deer Creek Elementary School?
Deer Creek Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (higher 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 Deer Creek Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Fargo?
By Resource Investment Index, Deer Creek Elementary School ranks #5 of 20 elementary schools in Fargo, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Fargo on the city page.
Is Deer Creek Elementary School a good school?
Deer Creek Elementary School earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the North Dakota 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 West Fargo 6?
Besides Deer Creek Elementary School, West Fargo 6 also operates West Fargo Sheyenne High School (1,400 students), West Fargo High School (1,380 students), and Liberty Middle School (1,103 students). See the West Fargo 6 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.