Enrollment
392
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Houston, MN
Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar
Federal NCES profile for Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 271428005379
👥 S:T ratio 13
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 48
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #7 of 7
- public schools in Houston · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.8:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 63.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar has class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Houston, MN.
School address
District: Houston Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 271428005379 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.8:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+38% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
63.9%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar
Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Houston, Minnesota, enrolling 392 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.8:1 is larger than about 87% of Minnesota schools and 38% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 63.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 392 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 166 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #156, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and African American (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 261 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 61.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Houston Public School District also operates Minnesota Virtual Academy High (706 students) and Minnesota Virtual Academy Middle (333 students) alongside Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar.
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 Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar compares
Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.8:1 | ▲ 38% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.9% | ▲ 49% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 392 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.8:1
Leaner classes than 11% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
392
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
63.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
21.8:1
students per teacher
- 38% above state mean
Top 87% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
61.5%
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
$14,283
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 261 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 48.2%
African American 20.4%
Two or More 13.5%
Hispanic or Latino 12.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.1%
Asian 2.0%
Largest group: White at 48.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.0, Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Houston Public School District, which includes Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar.
$14,283
Per student
-6%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 9.6%
State 87.0%
Federal 3.4%
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 Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Virtual Academy High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Minnesota Virtual Academy Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Houston Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Houston Secondary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Summit Learning Program | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 706
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 333
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 247
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 234
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 22
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
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 (~392 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar's federal record.
- Compare Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar against another school. Compare schools
- Houston 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 Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar
How many students attend Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar?
Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar has 392 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Houston, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar?
The student-teacher ratio at Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar is 21.8:1, which is 38% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 39% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar?
63.9% of students at Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar?
The largest demographic group at Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar is White at 48.2% of enrollment, in Houston, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar?
Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar rank among public schools in Houston?
By Resource Investment Index, Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar ranks #7 of 7 public schools in Houston, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Houston on the city page.
Is Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar a good school?
Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Houston Public School District?
Besides Minnesota Virtual Academy Elementar, Houston Public School District also operates Minnesota Virtual Academy High (706 students), Minnesota Virtual Academy Middle (333 students), and Houston Elementary (247 students). See the Houston 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.