Enrollment
391
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Finlayson, MN
East Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for East Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 271108500157
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Central Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Finlayson · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 47.8%
- free-lunch eligible
East Central Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Central Elementary ranks #3 of 4 schools in Finlayson, MN.
School address
District: East Central School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 271108500157 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Central Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Central Elementary
East Central Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Finlayson, Minnesota, enrolling 391 students.
At 15:1, 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 47.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 391 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 303 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #227, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (10%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 391 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
East Central School District also operates East Central Senior Secondary (309 students) and Crossroads Area Learning Center (32 students) alongside East Central 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 East Central Elementary compares
East Central 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 | 15:1 | ▼ 5% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.8% | ▲ 12% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 391 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
391
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 54% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 46% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.3%
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
$13,881
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 391 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 75.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 10.0%
Two or More 8.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.1%
Asian 1.0%
Largest group: White at 75.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.8, East Central Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for East Central School District, which includes East Central Elementary.
$13,881
Per student
-9%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.2%
State 66.4%
Federal 9.5%
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 East Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Central Senior Secondary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Crossroads Area Learning Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 309
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 32
- Students per teacher
- 32:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~391 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare East Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- East Central School District'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 East Central Elementary
How many students attend East Central Elementary?
East Central Elementary has 391 students enrolled. It is a public school in Finlayson, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at East Central Elementary is 15:1, which is 5% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 4% 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 East Central Elementary?
47.8% of students at East Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at East Central Elementary is White at 75.7% of enrollment, in Finlayson, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for East Central Elementary?
East Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 East Central Elementary rank among schools in Finlayson?
By Resource Investment Index, East Central Elementary ranks #3 of 4 schools in Finlayson, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Finlayson on the city page.
Is East Central Elementary a good school?
East Central Elementary earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota 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 East Central School District?
Besides East Central Elementary, East Central School District also operates East Central Senior Secondary (309 students) and Crossroads Area Learning Center (32 students). See the East Central School District 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.