Enrollment
394
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Circle Pines, MN
Golden Lake Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Golden Lake Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270810000336
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Golden Lake Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Circle Pines · Resource Index
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.6:1
- students per teacher
- 30.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Golden Lake Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Lake Elementary ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Circle Pines, MN.
School address
District: Centennial Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270810000336 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Golden Lake Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Golden Lake Elementary
Golden Lake Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Circle Pines, Minnesota, enrolling 394 students.
At 13.6:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 394 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 460 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #62.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 62/100).
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.4% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The surrounding Centennial Public School District spends $12,270 per pupil, 20% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Centennial Public School District also operates Centennial High School (2,067 students) and Centennial Middle (1,595 students) alongside Golden Lake Elementary.
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 Golden Lake Elementary compares
Golden Lake Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▼ 14% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.0% | ▼ 30% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 394 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.6:1
Leaner classes than 61% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
394
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
13.6:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 42% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 58% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
23.4%
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
$12,270
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 58.4%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
African American 10.9%
Asian 9.9%
Two or More 7.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 58.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.7, Golden Lake Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Centennial Public School District, which includes Golden Lake Elementary.
$12,270
Per student
-20%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.2%
State 62.8%
Federal 6.9%
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 Golden Lake Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centennial High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centennial Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Blue Heron Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Rice Lake Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Centerville Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Golden Lake Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,067
- Students per teacher
- 32.8:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,595
- Students per teacher
- 36.3:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 707
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 687
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 607
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
Similar other 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 (~394 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Golden Lake Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Golden Lake Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Centennial 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 Golden Lake Elementary
How many students attend Golden Lake Elementary?
Golden Lake Elementary has 394 students enrolled. It is a public school in Circle Pines, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Golden Lake Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Golden Lake Elementary is 13.6:1, which is 14% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 13% 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 Golden Lake Elementary?
30.0% of students at Golden Lake Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Golden Lake Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Golden Lake Elementary is White at 58.4% of enrollment, in Circle Pines, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Golden Lake Elementary?
Golden Lake Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (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 Golden Lake Elementary rank among public schools in Circle Pines?
By Resource Investment Index, Golden Lake Elementary ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Circle Pines, 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 Circle Pines on the city page.
Is Golden Lake Elementary a good school?
Golden Lake Elementary earns 52/100 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 Centennial Public School District?
Besides Golden Lake Elementary, Centennial Public School District also operates Centennial High School (2,067 students), Centennial Middle (1,595 students), and Blue Heron Elementary (707 students). See the Centennial 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.