Enrollment
417
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cottage Grove, MN
Hillside Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Hillside Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 60/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 273381001540
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hillside Elementary earns 60/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Cottage Grove · Resource Index
- 60
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.6:1
- students per teacher
- 32.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Hillside Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hillside Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Cottage Grove, MN.
School address
District: South Washington County Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 273381001540 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.6:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.2%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-25% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hillside Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hillside Elementary
Hillside Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, enrolling 417 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 417 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 92% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 460 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #25, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (12%) (diversity index 62/100).
16.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
South Washington County Schools also operates East Ridge High School (2,072 students) and Park High School (1,992 students) alongside Hillside 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 Hillside Elementary compares
Hillside 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 | 12.6:1 | ▼ 20% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.2% | ▼ 25% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 417 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.6:1
Leaner classes than 70% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
417
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 25% 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
12.6:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 34% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 66% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
16.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,382
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.5 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 58.5%
Hispanic or Latino 11.5%
Asian 11.0%
African American 9.6%
Two or More 9.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 58.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.5, Hillside Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Washington County Schools, which includes Hillside Elementary.
$13,382
Per student
-12%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 59.0%
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 Hillside Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbury High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbury Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hillside Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,072
- Students per teacher
- 44.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,992
- Students per teacher
- 36.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,943
- Students per teacher
- 43.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 53:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 38.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~417 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hillside Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Hillside Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- South Washington County Schools'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 Hillside Elementary
How many students attend Hillside Elementary?
Hillside Elementary has 417 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cottage Grove, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hillside Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Hillside Elementary is 12.6:1, which is 20% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 20% 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 Hillside Elementary?
32.2% of students at Hillside Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hillside Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Hillside Elementary is White at 58.5% of enrollment, in Cottage Grove, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hillside Elementary?
Hillside Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 60/100 (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 Hillside Elementary rank among schools in Cottage Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Hillside Elementary ranks #2 of 4 schools in Cottage Grove, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cottage Grove on the city page.
Is Hillside Elementary a good school?
Hillside Elementary earns 60/100 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 South Washington County Schools?
Besides Hillside Elementary, South Washington County Schools also operates East Ridge High School (2,072 students), Park High School (1,992 students), and Woodbury High School (1,943 students). See the South Washington County Schools 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.