Enrollment
34
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fargo, ND
Explorer Academy
Federal NCES profile for Explorer Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 69/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 380678000931
👥 S:T ratio 85
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Explorer Academy earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of North Dakota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most North Dakota schools.
- #2 of 20
- elementary schools in Fargo · Resource Index
- 69
- Resource Index · Higher
- 3.8:1
- small classes for North Dakota
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Explorer Academy has class sizes smaller than 98% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Explorer Academy ranks #2 of 20 elementary schools in Fargo, ND.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
9.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
3.8:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
-68% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
+255% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Explorer Academy compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Explorer Academy
Explorer Academy is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Fargo, North Dakota, enrolling 34 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 3.8:1, Explorer Academy is leaner than roughly 98% of North Dakota schools and 68% under the state's 11.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 255% above the North Dakota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of North Dakota schools, with 34 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 98% of the 498 North Dakota schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Its student body is led by White (41%) and African American (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 73/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 2.9% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 15.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 10 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 34 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Fargo's elementary schools, it stands alongside Centennial Elementary School (639 students): Explorer Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (3.8:1 vs 16.4:1).
Fargo 1 also operates Fargo Davies High School (1,277 students) and North High School (1,110 students) alongside Explorer Academy.
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 Explorer Academy compares
Explorer Academy 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 | 3.8:1 | ▼ 68% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 255% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 34 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
3.8:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
34
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 255% 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
3.8:1
students per teacher
- 68% below state mean
Top 2% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
2.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$16,941
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.4 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 41.2%
African American 20.6%
Two or More 20.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.8%
Largest group: White at 41.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.0, Explorer Academy is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fargo 1, which includes Explorer Academy.
$16,941
Per student
-8%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
+2%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.1%
State 48.6%
Federal 15.3%
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 Explorer Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo Davies High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Discovery Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ben Franklin Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Explorer Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,277
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,110
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 992
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 11.1:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 873
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar elementary schools in Fargo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Centennial Elementary School
Standard public school
639 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Bennett Elementary School
Standard public school
622 students 15.9:1 students per teacher
Osgood Elem School
Standard public school
554 students 12.9:1 students per teacher
Independence Elementary School
Standard public school
553 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Kennedy Elementary School
Standard public school
469 students 11.2:1 students per teacher
Willow Park Elementary School
Standard public school
461 students 11.2:1 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 (~34 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Explorer Academy's federal record.
- Compare Explorer Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Fargo 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 Explorer Academy
How many students attend Explorer Academy?
Explorer Academy has 34 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fargo, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Explorer Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Explorer Academy is 3.8:1, which is 68% lower than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 76% 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 Explorer Academy?
100.0% of students at Explorer Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Explorer Academy?
The largest demographic group at Explorer Academy is White at 41.2% of enrollment, in Fargo, ND. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Explorer Academy?
Explorer Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 69/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Explorer Academy rank among elementary schools in Fargo?
By Resource Investment Index, Explorer Academy ranks #2 of 20 elementary schools in Fargo, 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 Fargo on the city page.
Is Explorer Academy a good school?
Explorer Academy earns 69/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% 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 Fargo 1?
Besides Explorer Academy, Fargo 1 also operates Fargo Davies High School (1,277 students), North High School (1,110 students), and Discovery Middle School (992 students). See the Fargo 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.