Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bismarck, ND

Elk Ridge Elementary School

Federal NCES profile for Elk Ridge Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.

2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 380001400949
0/100100/10027/100
👥 S:T ratio
27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

Elk Ridge Elementary School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of North Dakota schools.

#19 of 19
elementary schools in Bismarck · Resource Index
27
Resource Index · Lower
18.2:1
large classes for North Dakota
1.2%
free-lunch eligible

Elk Ridge Elementary School has class sizes larger than 95% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, Elk Ridge Elementary School ranks #19 of 19 elementary schools in Bismarck, ND.

School address

Enrollment

510

North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

28.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

18.2:1

vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg

+54% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

1.2%

vs 28.2% North Dakota avg

-96% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Elk Ridge Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians

Larger classes than state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at Elk Ridge Elementary School

Elk Ridge Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Bismarck, North Dakota, enrolling 510 students.

Class loads run heavy: 18.2:1 is larger than about 95% of North Dakota schools and 54% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.

Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 1.2% free-meal eligibility runs 96% below the North Dakota average.

By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in North Dakota, bigger than 90% of state schools at 510 students.

Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 498 North Dakota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.

Among 32 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #30, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.

Its student body is predominantly White (92% of enrollment) (diversity index 16/100).

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): Elk Ridge Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.2:1 vs 15.5:1).

Bismarck 1 also operates Legacy High School (1,419 students) and Century High School (1,406 students) alongside Elk Ridge 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 Elk Ridge Elementary School compares

Elk Ridge 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 18.2:1 ▲ 54% 11.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 1.2% ▼ 96% 28.2% 51.7%
Enrollment 510 top 10% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

18.2:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
510
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
1.2%
free-lunch eligible - 96% 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
18.2:1
students per teacher - 54% above state mean
Top 95% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
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.

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 91.6%
Two or More 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.8%
Asian 1.6%
African American 0.6%

Largest group: White at 91.6% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 15.9/100

Simpson diversity index - at 15.9, Elk Ridge Elementary School is less mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bismarck 1, which includes Elk Ridge 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 Elk Ridge Elementary School Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Legacy High School Larger Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Century High School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Bismarck High School Larger Higher economic need Similar S:T ratio
Horizon Middle School Larger Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Simle Middle School Larger Higher economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to Elk Ridge Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Bismarck 1 · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar elementary schools in Bismarck

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on Elk Ridge Elementary School's federal record.

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 Elk Ridge Elementary School

How many students attend Elk Ridge Elementary School?

Elk Ridge Elementary School has 510 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bismarck, ND.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Elk Ridge Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Elk Ridge Elementary School is 18.2:1, which is 54% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 16% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Elk Ridge Elementary School?

1.2% of students at Elk Ridge Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Elk Ridge Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Elk Ridge Elementary School is White at 91.6% of enrollment, in Bismarck, ND.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Elk Ridge Elementary School?

Elk Ridge Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.

How does Elk Ridge Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Bismarck?

By Resource Investment Index, Elk Ridge Elementary School ranks #19 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 Elk Ridge Elementary School a good school?

Elk Ridge Elementary School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 95% of 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 Elk Ridge 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.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.