Enrollment
785
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mendota Heights, MN
Friendly Hills Middle
Federal NCES profile for Friendly Hills Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 274227002646
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Friendly Hills Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #3 of 5
- public schools in Mendota Heights · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 35.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Friendly Hills Middle has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Friendly Hills Middle ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Mendota Heights, MN.
School address
District: West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan · Minnesota
NCES ID 274227002646 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.9%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Friendly Hills Middle compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Friendly Hills Middle
Friendly Hills Middle is a large elementary school in Mendota Heights, Minnesota, enrolling 785 students.
At 14.8:1, 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 35.9% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 90% of state schools at 785 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 294 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #64.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 262 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan also operates Two Rivers High School (1,710 students) and Heritage E-Stem Magnet School (761 students) alongside Friendly Hills 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 Friendly Hills Middle compares
Friendly Hills 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 | 14.8:1 | ▼ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.9% | ▼ 16% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 785 | top 10% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
785
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 52% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 48% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.5%
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
$16,628
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 262 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 34 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.0 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 49.4%
Hispanic or Latino 24.5%
African American 12.7%
Two or More 8.5%
Asian 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 49.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Friendly Hills Middle is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan, which includes Friendly Hills Middle.
$16,628
Per student
+9%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
+0%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.6%
State 53.8%
Federal 11.7%
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 Friendly Hills Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two Rivers High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heritage E-Stem Magnet School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Garlough Environmental Magnet | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Somerset Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pilot Knob Stem Magnet School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Friendly Hills Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,710
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 761
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 12.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary 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 (~785 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Friendly Hills Middle's federal record.
- Compare Friendly Hills Middle against another school. Compare schools
- West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan'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 Friendly Hills Middle
How many students attend Friendly Hills Middle?
Friendly Hills Middle has 785 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mendota Heights, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Friendly Hills Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Friendly Hills Middle is 14.8:1, which is 6% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 6% 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 Friendly Hills Middle?
35.9% of students at Friendly Hills Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Friendly Hills Middle?
The largest demographic group at Friendly Hills Middle is White at 49.4% of enrollment, in Mendota Heights, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Friendly Hills Middle?
Friendly Hills Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Friendly Hills Middle rank among public schools in Mendota Heights?
By Resource Investment Index, Friendly Hills Middle ranks #3 of 5 public schools in Mendota Heights, 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 Mendota Heights on the city page.
Is Friendly Hills Middle a good school?
Friendly Hills Middle earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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 West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan?
Besides Friendly Hills Middle, West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan also operates Two Rivers High School (1,710 students), Heritage E-Stem Magnet School (761 students), and Garlough Environmental Magnet (414 students). See the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan district page for the complete list.
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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.