Enrollment
284
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Staples, MN
Motley-Staples Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Motley-Staples Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 273390002468
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 43
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Motley-Staples Middle School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Staples · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.7:1
- students per teacher
- 41.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Motley-Staples Middle School has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Motley-Staples Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Staples, MN.
School address
District: Staples-Motley School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 273390002468 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.7:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Motley-Staples Middle School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Motley-Staples Middle School
Motley-Staples Middle School is a mid-sized elementary school in Staples, Minnesota, enrolling 284 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.7:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.0% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 284 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 307 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #261, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 284 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 56.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Staples-Motley School District also operates Staples-Motley Senior High (309 students) and Staples-Motley Elementary (308 students) alongside Motley-Staples 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 Motley-Staples Middle School compares
Motley-Staples 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 | 16.7:1 | ▲ 6% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.0% | ▼ 4% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 284 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.7:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
284
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.0%
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
16.7:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 67% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 33% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
56.7%
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
$14,013
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 284 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 11 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.9 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 90.1%
Two or More 5.6%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 90.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.4, Motley-Staples Middle School is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Staples-Motley School District, which includes Motley-Staples Middle School.
$14,013
Per student
-8%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.5%
State 65.8%
Federal 12.7%
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 Motley-Staples Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staples-Motley Senior High | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Staples-Motley Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Motley-Staples Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 309
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 308
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
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 (~284 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Motley-Staples Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Motley-Staples Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Staples-Motley 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 Motley-Staples Middle School
How many students attend Motley-Staples Middle School?
Motley-Staples Middle School has 284 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Staples, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Motley-Staples Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Motley-Staples Middle School is 16.7:1, which is 6% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Motley-Staples Middle School?
41.0% of students at Motley-Staples Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Motley-Staples Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Motley-Staples Middle School is White at 90.1% of enrollment, in Staples, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Motley-Staples Middle School?
Motley-Staples Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (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 Motley-Staples Middle School rank among public schools in Staples?
By Resource Investment Index, Motley-Staples Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Staples, 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 Staples on the city page.
Is Motley-Staples Middle School a good school?
Motley-Staples Middle School earns 27/100 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 Staples-Motley School District?
Besides Motley-Staples Middle School, Staples-Motley School District also operates Staples-Motley Senior High (309 students) and Staples-Motley Elementary (308 students). See the Staples-Motley 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.