Enrollment
670
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · South Saint Paul, MN
Lincoln Center Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lincoln Center Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 273327001453
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 28
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lincoln Center Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in South Saint Paul · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 45.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Lincoln Center Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Center Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in South Saint Paul, MN.
School address
District: South St. Paul Public School Dist · Minnesota
NCES ID 273327001453 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
45.9%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lincoln Center Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lincoln Center Elementary
Lincoln Center Elementary is a large combined-grade school in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, enrolling 670 students.
At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 45.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 670 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 249 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #164.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and Hispanic or Latino (28%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 335 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
South St. Paul Public School Dist also operates South St. Paul High School (866 students) and Kaposia Education Center Elementary (620 students) alongside Lincoln Center 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 Lincoln Center Elementary compares
Lincoln Center 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 45.9% | ▲ 7% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 670 | top 14% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
670
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
45.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 43% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.7%
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
$14,499
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 335 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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 47.9%
Hispanic or Latino 28.1%
Two or More 11.2%
African American 7.8%
Asian 4.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.0%
Largest group: White at 47.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.1, Lincoln Center Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South St. Paul Public School Dist, which includes Lincoln Center Elementary.
$14,499
Per student
-5%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.6%
State 62.3%
Federal 12.0%
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 Lincoln Center Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South St. Paul High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Kaposia Education Center Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| South St. Paul Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| S St. Paul Community Lrng. Cntr. | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Early Childhood Special Ed Program | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Lincoln Center Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 866
- Students per teacher
- 23.4:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 620
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 535
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 99
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 68
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~670 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lincoln Center Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lincoln Center Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- South St. Paul Public School Dist'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 Lincoln Center Elementary
How many students attend Lincoln Center Elementary?
Lincoln Center Elementary has 670 students enrolled. It is a public school in South Saint Paul, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Center Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lincoln Center Elementary is 13.7:1, which is 13% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 13% 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 Lincoln Center Elementary?
45.9% of students at Lincoln Center Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lincoln Center Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lincoln Center Elementary is White at 47.9% of enrollment, in South Saint Paul, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lincoln Center Elementary?
Lincoln Center Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Lincoln Center Elementary rank among schools in South Saint Paul?
By Resource Investment Index, Lincoln Center Elementary ranks #3 of 5 schools in South Saint Paul, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in South Saint Paul on the city page.
Is Lincoln Center Elementary a good school?
Lincoln Center Elementary earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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 South St. Paul Public School Dist?
Besides Lincoln Center Elementary, South St. Paul Public School Dist also operates South St. Paul High School (866 students), Kaposia Education Center Elementary (620 students), and South St. Paul Middle School (535 students). See the South St. Paul Public School Dist district page for the complete list.
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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.