Enrollment
672
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Willmar, MN
Kennedy Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Kennedy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 274272002445
👥 S:T ratio 55
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kennedy Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #5 of 9
- schools in Willmar · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.2:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 65.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Kennedy Elementary has class sizes smaller than 76% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kennedy Elementary ranks #5 of 9 schools in Willmar, MN.
School address
District: Willmar Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 274272002445 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kennedy Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kennedy Elementary
Kennedy Elementary is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Willmar, Minnesota, enrolling 672 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 672 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 118 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #32.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (47%) and White (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Willmar Public School District also operates Willmar Senior High (1,205 students) and Willmar Middle School (842 students) alongside Kennedy 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 Kennedy Elementary compares
Kennedy 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 | 11.2:1 | ▼ 29% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.6% | ▲ 53% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 672 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.2:1
Leaner classes than 82% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
672
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.2:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 24% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.2%
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
$14,812
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
7
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 47.0%
White 31.0%
African American 15.6%
Asian 3.6%
Two or More 2.8%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.7, Kennedy Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Willmar Public School District, which includes Kennedy Elementary.
$14,812
Per student
-3%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 15.4%
State 72.1%
Federal 12.4%
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 Kennedy Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willmar Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willmar Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lakeland Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Roosevelt Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Willmar Area Learning Center | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kennedy Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,205
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 842
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 623
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 580
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 91
- Students per teacher
- 9.1:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
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 (~672 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kennedy Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Kennedy Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Willmar 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 Kennedy Elementary
How many students attend Kennedy Elementary?
Kennedy Elementary has 672 students enrolled. It is a public school in Willmar, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kennedy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Kennedy Elementary is 11.2:1, which is 29% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 29% 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 Kennedy Elementary?
65.6% of students at Kennedy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kennedy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Kennedy Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 47.0% of enrollment, in Willmar, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kennedy Elementary?
Kennedy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical 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 Kennedy Elementary rank among schools in Willmar?
By Resource Investment Index, Kennedy Elementary ranks #5 of 9 schools in Willmar, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Willmar on the city page.
Is Kennedy Elementary a good school?
Kennedy Elementary earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Willmar Public School District?
Besides Kennedy Elementary, Willmar Public School District also operates Willmar Senior High (1,205 students), Willmar Middle School (842 students), and Lakeland Elementary School (623 students). See the Willmar 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.