Enrollment
390
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bismarck, ND
Dorothy Moses Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Dorothy Moses Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 380001400048
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dorothy Moses Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota schools.
- #14 of 19
- elementary schools in Bismarck · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for North Dakota
- 65.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Dorothy Moses Elementary School has class sizes larger than 86% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dorothy Moses Elementary School ranks #14 of 19 elementary schools in Bismarck, ND.
School address
District: Bismarck 1 · North Dakota
NCES ID 380001400048 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.8%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
+133% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dorothy Moses Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dorothy Moses Elementary School
Dorothy Moses Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Bismarck, North Dakota, enrolling 390 students.
Class loads run heavy: 15.6:1 is larger than about 86% of North Dakota schools and 32% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 65.8% of students qualify for free meals, 133% above the North Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 390 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (16%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 76/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 390 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Bismarck 1 spends $14,037 per pupil, 24% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 16.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bismarck's elementary schools, it stands alongside Victor Solheim Elementary School (588 students): Dorothy Moses Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.6:1 vs 15.5:1).
Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students) and Century High School (1,406 students) alongside Dorothy Moses 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 Dorothy Moses Elementary School compares
Dorothy Moses 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 32% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.8% | ▲ 133% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 390 | top 17% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
390
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 133% above the North Dakota average of 28.2%
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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 32% above state mean
Top 86% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
20.3%
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
$14,037
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 390 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 41.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 15.9%
Two or More 12.3%
Hispanic or Latino 11.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 10.0%
African American 7.4%
Asian 1.5%
Largest group: White at 41.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 75.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 75.7, Dorothy Moses 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 Bismarck 1, which includes Dorothy Moses Elementary School.
$14,037
Per student
-24%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.0%
State 55.3%
Federal 16.7%
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 Dorothy Moses Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Century High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bismarck High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horizon Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Simle Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dorothy Moses Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,419
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,406
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,367
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,124
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,053
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar elementary schools in Bismarck
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Victor Solheim Elementary School
Standard public school
588 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
Elk Ridge Elementary School
Standard public school
510 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Robert Place Miller Elementary School
Standard public school
485 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Liberty Elementary School
Standard public school
470 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Sunrise Elementary School
Standard public school
445 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Northridge Elementary School
Standard public school
410 students 11.4:1 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 (~390 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dorothy Moses Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Dorothy Moses Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Bismarck 1'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 Dorothy Moses Elementary School
How many students attend Dorothy Moses Elementary School?
Dorothy Moses Elementary School has 390 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bismarck, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dorothy Moses Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dorothy Moses Elementary School is 15.6:1, which is 32% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dorothy Moses Elementary School?
65.8% of students at Dorothy Moses Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dorothy Moses Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Dorothy Moses Elementary School is White at 41.8% of enrollment, in Bismarck, ND. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 75.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dorothy Moses Elementary School?
Dorothy Moses Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Dorothy Moses Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Bismarck?
By Resource Investment Index, Dorothy Moses Elementary School ranks #14 of 19 elementary schools in Bismarck, 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 Bismarck on the city page.
Is Dorothy Moses Elementary School a good school?
Dorothy Moses Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota 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 Bismarck 1?
Besides Dorothy Moses Elementary School, Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students), Century High School (1,406 students), and Bismarck High School (1,367 students). See the Bismarck 1 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.