Enrollment
558
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Fergus Falls, MN
Kennedy Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Kennedy Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 20/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 271188004944
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 16
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kennedy Middle School earns 20/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #4 of 5
- elementary schools in Fergus Falls · Resource Index
- 20
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.9:1
- students per teacher
- 33.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Kennedy Middle School has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kennedy Middle School ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Fergus Falls, MN.
School address
District: Fergus Falls Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 271188004944 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.9:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
33.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-21% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kennedy Middle School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kennedy Middle School
Kennedy Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, enrolling 558 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 33.7% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 558 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 447 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #416, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 420 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Fergus Falls Public School District spends $11,669 per pupil, 24% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Fergus Falls Public School District also operates Kennedy High School (714 students) and Iq Academy 9-12 (375 students) alongside Kennedy Middle School.
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 Middle School compares
Kennedy Middle School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 33.7% | ▼ 21% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 558 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.9:1
Leaner classes than 31% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
558
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
33.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% 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
16.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 69% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 31% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
42.8%
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
$11,669
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
Counselors1.3 FTE
Per 420 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
48
in-school suspensions + 15 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.3 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 85.8%
Two or More 7.2%
Hispanic or Latino 3.4%
African American 3.0%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 85.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.7, Kennedy Middle School is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fergus Falls Public School District, which includes Kennedy Middle School.
$11,669
Per student
-24%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.9%
State 65.2%
Federal 14.9%
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 Kennedy Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennedy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Iq Academy 9-12 | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cleveland Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Adams Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kennedy Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 714
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 375
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 361
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 254
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 249
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
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 (~558 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kennedy Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Kennedy Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Fergus Falls 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 Middle School
How many students attend Kennedy Middle School?
Kennedy Middle School has 558 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Fergus Falls, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kennedy Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kennedy Middle School is 16.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 8% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kennedy Middle School?
33.7% of students at Kennedy Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kennedy Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Kennedy Middle School is White at 85.8% of enrollment, in Fergus Falls, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kennedy Middle School?
Kennedy Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 20/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Kennedy Middle School rank among elementary schools in Fergus Falls?
By Resource Investment Index, Kennedy Middle School ranks #4 of 5 elementary schools in Fergus Falls, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Fergus Falls on the city page.
Is Kennedy Middle School a good school?
Kennedy Middle School earns 20/100 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 Fergus Falls Public School District?
Besides Kennedy Middle School, Fergus Falls Public School District also operates Kennedy High School (714 students), Iq Academy 9-12 (375 students), and Cleveland Elementary (361 students). See the Fergus Falls 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.