Enrollment
758
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Big Lake, MN
Independence Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Independence Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270546000205
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Independence Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Minnesota schools.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Big Lake · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 30.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Independence Elementary has class sizes larger than 75% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Elementary ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Big Lake, MN.
School address
District: Big Lake Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270546000205 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
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 Independence Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Independence Elementary
Independence Elementary is a large elementary school in Big Lake, Minnesota, enrolling 758 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 30.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 758 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 370 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #51.
Its student body is led by White (78%) and Hispanic or Latino (8%) (diversity index 38/100).
15.8% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Big Lake Public School District also operates Big Lake Senior High (902 students) and Liberty Elementary (756 students) alongside Independence 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 Independence Elementary compares
Independence 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 14% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.0% | ▼ 30% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 758 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
758
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
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
18:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 75% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,520
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
20
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 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 78.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
Two or More 6.5%
African American 4.5%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 78.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.5, Independence Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Big Lake Public School District, which includes Independence Elementary.
$12,520
Per student
-18%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.9%
State 64.0%
Federal 8.1%
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 Independence Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Lake Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Big Lake Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Big Lake Online 6-12 | Smaller | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Big Lake Online K-5 | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Independence Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 902
- Students per teacher
- 30.1:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 756
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 26.3:1
- Resource Index
- 9/100
- Enrollment
- 118
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 24
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~758 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Independence Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Independence Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Big Lake 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 Independence Elementary
How many students attend Independence Elementary?
Independence Elementary has 758 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Big Lake, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Independence Elementary is 18:1, which is 14% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Independence Elementary?
30.0% of students at Independence Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Independence Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Independence Elementary is White at 78.2% of enrollment, in Big Lake, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Independence Elementary?
Independence Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Independence Elementary rank among public schools in Big Lake?
By Resource Investment Index, Independence Elementary ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Big Lake, 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 Big Lake on the city page.
Is Independence Elementary a good school?
Independence Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of 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 Big Lake Public School District?
Besides Independence Elementary, Big Lake Public School District also operates Big Lake Senior High (902 students), Liberty Elementary (756 students), and Big Lake Middle School (632 students). See the Big Lake 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.