Enrollment
667
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bemidji, MN
Gene Dillon Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gene Dillon Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270444005094
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gene Dillon Elementary School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Bemidji · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 43.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Gene Dillon Elementary School has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gene Dillon Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Bemidji, MN.
School address
District: Bemidji Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270444005094 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gene Dillon Elementary School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gene Dillon Elementary School
Gene Dillon Elementary School is a large elementary school in Bemidji, Minnesota, enrolling 667 students.
At 14.5:1, 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 43.0% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 667 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 275 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #255, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (66%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (27%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 667 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Bemidji Public School District also operates Bemidji Senior High (1,537 students) and Bemidji Middle (967 students) alongside Gene Dillon 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 Gene Dillon Elementary School compares
Gene Dillon Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.5:1 | ▼ 8% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.0% | ▲ 0% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 667 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
667
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% 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
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 50% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 50% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.4%
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
$14,614
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 667 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
23
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.3 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 66.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 26.8%
Hispanic or Latino 3.0%
Two or More 2.5%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 66.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.1, Gene Dillon Elementary School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bemidji Public School District, which includes Gene Dillon Elementary School.
$14,614
Per student
-4%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 67.6%
Federal 13.8%
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 Gene Dillon Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bemidji Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bemidji Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Horace May Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northern Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gene Dillon Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,537
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 967
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 282
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
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 (~667 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gene Dillon Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gene Dillon Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Bemidji 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 Gene Dillon Elementary School
How many students attend Gene Dillon Elementary School?
Gene Dillon Elementary School has 667 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bemidji, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gene Dillon Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gene Dillon Elementary School is 14.5:1, which is 8% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 8% 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 Gene Dillon Elementary School?
43.0% of students at Gene Dillon Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gene Dillon Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gene Dillon Elementary School is White at 66.0% of enrollment, in Bemidji, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gene Dillon Elementary School?
Gene Dillon Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (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 Gene Dillon Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Bemidji?
By Resource Investment Index, Gene Dillon Elementary School ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Bemidji, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Bemidji on the city page.
Is Gene Dillon Elementary School a good school?
Gene Dillon Elementary School earns 20/100 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 Bemidji Public School District?
Besides Gene Dillon Elementary School, Bemidji Public School District also operates Bemidji Senior High (1,537 students), Bemidji Middle (967 students), and Lincoln Elementary (320 students). See the Bemidji 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.