Enrollment
238
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bemidji, MN
J.W. Smith Elementary
Federal NCES profile for J.W. Smith Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270444000196
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
J.W. Smith Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 75% of Minnesota schools.
- #7 of 10
- schools in Bemidji · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.3:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 83.1%
- free-lunch eligible
J.W. Smith Elementary has class sizes smaller than 75% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, J.W. Smith Elementary ranks #7 of 10 schools in Bemidji, MN.
School address
District: Bemidji Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270444000196 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
21.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.3:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
83.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+94% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J.W. Smith Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at J.W. Smith Elementary
J.W. Smith Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Bemidji, Minnesota, enrolling 238 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 83.1% of students qualify for free meals, 94% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 238 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 79 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #63, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by American Indian / Alaska Native (63%) and White (23%) (diversity index 54/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 63.0% 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 J.W. Smith 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 J.W. Smith Elementary compares
J.W. Smith 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 | 11.3:1 | ▼ 28% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 83.1% | ▲ 94% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 238 | top 53% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.3:1
Leaner classes than 81% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
238
Bigger than 24% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
83.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 94% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.3:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 25% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
63.0%
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.5 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
American Indian / Alaska Native 63.4%
White 23.1%
Two or More 6.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
African American 2.1%
Asian 1.7%
Largest group: American Indian / Alaska Native at 63.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, J.W. Smith Elementary 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 J.W. Smith Elementary.
$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 J.W. Smith Elementary 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gene Dillon Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Horace May Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to J.W. Smith Elementary'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
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~238 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on J.W. Smith Elementary's federal record.
- Compare J.W. Smith Elementary 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 J.W. Smith Elementary
How many students attend J.W. Smith Elementary?
J.W. Smith Elementary has 238 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bemidji, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J.W. Smith Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at J.W. Smith Elementary is 11.3:1, which is 28% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 28% 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 J.W. Smith Elementary?
83.1% of students at J.W. Smith Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J.W. Smith Elementary?
The largest demographic group at J.W. Smith Elementary is American Indian / Alaska Native at 63.4% of enrollment, in Bemidji, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J.W. Smith Elementary?
J.W. Smith Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 J.W. Smith Elementary rank among schools in Bemidji?
By Resource Investment Index, J.W. Smith Elementary ranks #7 of 10 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 schools in Bemidji on the city page.
Is J.W. Smith Elementary a good school?
J.W. Smith Elementary earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller 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 Bemidji Public School District?
Besides J.W. Smith Elementary, Bemidji Public School District also operates Bemidji Senior High (1,537 students), Bemidji Middle (967 students), and Gene Dillon Elementary School (667 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.