Enrollment
726
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Austin, MN
Ellis Middle
Federal NCES profile for Ellis Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 270345000150
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ellis Middle earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #10 of 14
- public schools in Austin · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 51.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Ellis Middle has class sizes larger than 88% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ellis Middle ranks #10 of 14 public schools in Austin, MN.
School address
District: Austin Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270345000150 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ellis Middle compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ellis Middle
Ellis Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in Austin, Minnesota, enrolling 726 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22:1 is larger than about 88% of Minnesota schools and 39% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 51.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 726 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 169 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #154, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (39%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 726 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 34.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Austin Public School District also operates Austin Senior High (1,485 students) and I.J. Holton Intermediate School (712 students) alongside Ellis Middle.
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 Ellis Middle compares
Ellis Middle on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 22:1 | ▲ 39% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.8% | ▲ 21% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 726 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
726
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
22:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 88% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 12% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
34.6%
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
$14,871
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 726 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
40
in-school suspensions + 79 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.4 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 39.3%
Hispanic or Latino 29.6%
Asian 14.6%
African American 9.0%
Two or More 3.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 39.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 72.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 72.6, Ellis Middle is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Austin Public School District, which includes Ellis Middle.
$14,871
Per student
-3%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.0%
State 68.0%
Federal 15.0%
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 Ellis Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| I.J. Holton Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Banfield Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Southgate Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sumner Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ellis Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,485
- Students per teacher
- 31.6:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 574
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 539
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar middle 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 (~726 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ellis Middle's federal record.
- Compare Ellis Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Austin Public 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 Ellis Middle
How many students attend Ellis Middle?
Ellis Middle has 726 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Austin, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ellis Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Ellis Middle is 22:1, which is 39% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 40% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ellis Middle?
51.8% of students at Ellis Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ellis Middle?
The largest demographic group at Ellis Middle is White at 39.3% of enrollment, in Austin, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 72.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ellis Middle?
Ellis Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower 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 Ellis Middle rank among public schools in Austin?
By Resource Investment Index, Ellis Middle ranks #10 of 14 public schools in Austin, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Austin on the city page.
Is Ellis Middle a good school?
Ellis Middle earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 88% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota 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 Austin Public School District?
Besides Ellis Middle, Austin Public School District also operates Austin Senior High (1,485 students), I.J. Holton Intermediate School (712 students), and Banfield Elementary (574 students). See the Austin Public 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.