Enrollment
482
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 380813000255
J Nelson Kelly Elementary School — Grand Forks, ND
Federal NCES profile for J Nelson Kelly Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 40/100.
👥 Class size 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 85
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Grand Forks 1 · North Dakota
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.6:1
vs 11.7:1 North Dakota avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.9%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
-61% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J Nelson Kelly Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
J Nelson Kelly Elementary School reports 482 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 35.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 13.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 16% above the North Dakota state mean of 11.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 14% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 10.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 61% below the North Dakota average and 79% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 964 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 6.0% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Grand Forks 1 spends $16,806 per pupil district-wide, below the North Dakota average of $22,219 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 27.3% from local sources (property taxes), 53.5% from the state, and 19.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How J Nelson Kelly Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Dakota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.6:1 | ▲ 16% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.9% | ▼ 61% | 28.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 482 | top 88% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
10.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 61% below the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.6:1
students per teacher
— 16% above state mean
Top 71% in North Dakota — lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
6.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 10% — strong attendance relative to the post-pandemic national landscape.
Funding equity
$16,806
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Dakota avg of $22,219
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.5 FTE
Per 964 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 482 Top 88% in North Dakota — larger than 12% of 499 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 35.0
Students per teacher 13.6:1 +16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 10.9% -61% vs state
NCES ID 380813000255
Student demographics
White 83.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.4%
Two or More 5.4%
African American 3.1%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 83.4% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.5
Students per counselor 964:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 6.0%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Grand Forks 1, which includes J Nelson Kelly Elementary School.
$16,806
Per student
-24%
vs North Dakota
Avg $22,219
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 27.3%
State 53.5%
Federal 19.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,190
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Enrollment
- 1,115
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 569
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Enrollment
- 567
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Enrollment
- 549
- Students per teacher
- 10:1
Similar other schools in Grand Forks
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Discovery Elementary School
Standard public school
567 students 13:1 students per teacher
Century Elementary School
Standard public school
493 students 12.4:1 students per teacher
Lake Agassiz Elementary School
Standard public school
464 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Ben Franklin Elementary School
Standard public school
367 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Viking Elementary School
Standard public school
328 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Phoenix Elementary School
Standard public school
235 students 13:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about J Nelson Kelly Elementary School
How many students attend J Nelson Kelly Elementary School?
J Nelson Kelly Elementary School has 482 students enrolled. It is a other school in Grand Forks, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J Nelson Kelly Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at J Nelson Kelly Elementary School is 13.6:1, which is 16% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.7:1 and 14% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at J Nelson Kelly Elementary School?
10.9% of students at J Nelson Kelly Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J Nelson Kelly Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at J Nelson Kelly Elementary School is White at 83.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Grand Forks, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J Nelson Kelly Elementary School?
J Nelson Kelly Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.