Enrollment
64
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 270001403670
Early Childhood Special Education — Wadena, MN
Federal NCES profile for Early Childhood Special Education, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 54/100.
👥 Class size 54
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: Freshwater Education 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)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.9%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Early Childhood Special Education 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
Early Childhood Special Education reports 64 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 5.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 28% below the Minnesota state mean of 15.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 28% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 43.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 3% above the Minnesota average and 15% below the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Freshwater Education District spends $67,073 per pupil district-wide, above the Minnesota average of $21,113 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 47.0% from local sources (property taxes), 22.7% from the state, and 30.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (C-), 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 Early Childhood Special Education 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 28% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.9% | ▲ 3% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 64 | top 23% | — | — |
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
43.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 3% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
— 28% below state mean
Top 24% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$67,073
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 64 Top 23% in Minnesota — larger than 77% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 5.0
Students per teacher 11.4:1 -28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 43.9% +3% vs state
NCES ID 270001403670
Student demographics
White 73.4%
Hispanic or Latino 17.2%
African American 4.7%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.6%
Largest group: White at 73.4% of enrollment.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Freshwater Education District, which includes Early Childhood Special Education.
$67,073
Per student
+218%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
+244%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 47.0%
State 22.7%
Federal 30.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 101
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Enrollment
- 15
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Enrollment
- 11
- Students per teacher
- 6:1
- Enrollment
- 9
- Students per teacher
- 7:1
Similar other schools in Wadena
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Wadena-Deer Creek Senior High
Standard public school
470 students 23.5:1 students per teacher
Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary
Standard public school
450 students 12.5:1 students per teacher
Freshwater Education District Alc
Alternative education program
101 students 8:1 students per teacher
Leaf River Academy
Special-education school
15 students 8:1 students per teacher
White Pine Academy
Special-education school
11 students 6:1 students per teacher
Elm Tree Academy
Special-education school
9 students 7:1 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 Early Childhood Special Education
How many students attend Early Childhood Special Education?
Early Childhood Special Education has 64 students enrolled. It is a other school in WADENA, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Early Childhood Special Education?
The student-teacher ratio at Early Childhood Special Education is 11.4:1, which is 28% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 28% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Early Childhood Special Education?
43.9% of students at Early Childhood Special Education are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Early Childhood Special Education?
The largest demographic group at Early Childhood Special Education is White at 73.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in WADENA, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Early Childhood Special Education?
Early Childhood Special Education has a Resource Investment Index of 54/100 (C-) 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.