Enrollment
312
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Duluth, MN
Lowell Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Lowell Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 271104000475
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 11
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lowell Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Minnesota schools.
- #3 of 8
- elementary schools in Duluth · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 41.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Lowell Elementary has class sizes smaller than 71% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell Elementary ranks #3 of 8 elementary schools in Duluth, MN.
School address
District: Duluth Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 271104000475 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lowell Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lowell Elementary
Lowell Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in Duluth, Minnesota, enrolling 312 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.3% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 312 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 321 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #94.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 52/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Duluth Public School District also operates East High School (1,495 students) and Ordean East Middle School (1,037 students) alongside Lowell 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 Lowell Elementary compares
Lowell 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 24% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.3% | ▼ 4% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 312 | top 45% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
312
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
12:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 29% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
35.6%
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
$14,387
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
0
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.3 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 66.7%
Two or More 13.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 9.9%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
African American 4.2%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 66.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.4, Lowell Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Duluth Public School District, which includes Lowell Elementary.
$14,387
Per student
-6%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.4%
State 55.1%
Federal 14.5%
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 Lowell Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ordean East Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Denfeld High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Park Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lester Park Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lowell Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,495
- Students per teacher
- 28.2:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,037
- Students per teacher
- 29.6:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 951
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
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 (~312 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lowell Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Lowell Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Duluth 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 Lowell Elementary
How many students attend Lowell Elementary?
Lowell Elementary has 312 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Duluth, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Lowell Elementary is 12:1, which is 24% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 24% 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 Lowell Elementary?
41.3% of students at Lowell Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lowell Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Lowell Elementary is White at 66.7% of enrollment, in Duluth, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lowell Elementary?
Lowell Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Lowell Elementary rank among elementary schools in Duluth?
By Resource Investment Index, Lowell Elementary ranks #3 of 8 elementary schools in Duluth, 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 Duluth on the city page.
Is Lowell Elementary a good school?
Lowell Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% 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 Duluth Public School District?
Besides Lowell Elementary, Duluth Public School District also operates East High School (1,495 students), Ordean East Middle School (1,037 students), and Denfeld High School (951 students). See the Duluth 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.