Enrollment
808
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Sauk Rapids, MN
Mississippi Heights Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Mississippi Heights Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 273288001430
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mississippi Heights Elementary earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #6 of 7
- public schools in Sauk Rapids · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 29.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Mississippi Heights Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mississippi Heights Elementary ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Sauk Rapids, MN.
School address
District: Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 273288001430 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
29.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mississippi Heights Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mississippi Heights Elementary
Mississippi Heights Elementary is a large elementary school in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, enrolling 808 students.
At 14.2:1, 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 below the state's typical profile, with 29.6% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 91% of state schools at 808 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 333 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #281, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Two or More (9%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 808 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools also operates Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High (1,319 students) and Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School (1,055 students) alongside Mississippi Heights 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 Mississippi Heights Elementary compares
Mississippi Heights 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 10% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 29.6% | ▼ 31% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 808 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
808
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
29.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 47% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$13,440
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 808 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.9 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 79.3%
Two or More 9.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
African American 3.8%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 79.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.7, Mississippi Heights Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, which includes Mississippi Heights Elementary.
$13,440
Per student
-12%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.6%
State 69.8%
Federal 8.6%
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 Mississippi Heights Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pleasantview Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rice Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hillside Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Mississippi Heights Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,319
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,055
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 734
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 357
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 58
- Students per teacher
- -
- 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 (~808 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mississippi Heights Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Mississippi Heights Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools'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 Mississippi Heights Elementary
How many students attend Mississippi Heights Elementary?
Mississippi Heights Elementary has 808 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Sauk Rapids, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mississippi Heights Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Mississippi Heights Elementary is 14.2:1, which is 10% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 10% 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 Mississippi Heights Elementary?
29.6% of students at Mississippi Heights Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mississippi Heights Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Mississippi Heights Elementary is White at 79.3% of enrollment, in Sauk Rapids, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mississippi Heights Elementary?
Mississippi Heights Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (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 Mississippi Heights Elementary rank among public schools in Sauk Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Mississippi Heights Elementary ranks #6 of 7 public schools in Sauk Rapids, 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 Sauk Rapids on the city page.
Is Mississippi Heights Elementary a good school?
Mississippi Heights Elementary earns 24/100 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 Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools?
Besides Mississippi Heights Elementary, Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools also operates Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High (1,319 students), Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School (1,055 students), and Pleasantview Elementary (734 students). See the Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools 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.