Enrollment
86
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cottage Grove, MN
Next Step Transition Program
Federal NCES profile for Next Step Transition Program, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 10/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 273381004280
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Next Step Transition Program earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% of Minnesota schools.
- #4 of 4
- high schools in Cottage Grove · Resource Index
- 10
- Resource Index · Lower
- 43:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 43.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Next Step Transition Program has class sizes larger than 98% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Next Step Transition Program ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Cottage Grove, MN.
School address
District: South Washington County Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 273381004280 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
43:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+172% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.5%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Next Step Transition Program compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Next Step Transition Program
Next Step Transition Program is a mid-sized high school in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, enrolling 86 students.
Class loads run heavy: 43:1 is larger than about 98% of Minnesota schools and 172% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 43.5% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 86 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 99% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 147 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #145, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (62%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 58/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 68.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
South Washington County Schools also operates East Ridge High School (2,072 students) and Park High School (1,992 students) alongside Next Step Transition Program.
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 Next Step Transition Program compares
Next Step Transition Program on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 43:1 | ▲ 172% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.5% | ▲ 2% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 86 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
43:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
86
Bigger than 9% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
43:1
students per teacher
- 172% above state mean
Top 98% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 2% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
68.6%
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
$13,382
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 + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.0 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 61.6%
African American 14.0%
Hispanic or Latino 9.3%
Two or More 9.3%
Asian 5.8%
Largest group: White at 61.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.0, Next Step Transition Program is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Washington County Schools, which includes Next Step Transition Program.
$13,382
Per student
-12%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 59.0%
Federal 6.9%
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 Next Step Transition Program Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Ridge High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Park High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Woodbury High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbury Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Next Step Transition Program's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,072
- Students per teacher
- 44.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,992
- Students per teacher
- 36.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,943
- Students per teacher
- 43.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 53:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 38.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar high 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 (~86 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~43:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Next Step Transition Program's federal record.
- Compare Next Step Transition Program against another school. Compare schools
- South Washington County 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 Next Step Transition Program
How many students attend Next Step Transition Program?
Next Step Transition Program has 86 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cottage Grove, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Next Step Transition Program?
The student-teacher ratio at Next Step Transition Program is 43:1, which is 172% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 174% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Next Step Transition Program?
43.5% of students at Next Step Transition Program are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Next Step Transition Program?
The largest demographic group at Next Step Transition Program is White at 61.6% of enrollment, in Cottage Grove, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Next Step Transition Program?
Next Step Transition Program has a Resource Investment Index of 10/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Next Step Transition Program rank among high schools in Cottage Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Next Step Transition Program ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Cottage Grove, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Cottage Grove on the city page.
Is Next Step Transition Program a good school?
Next Step Transition Program earns 10/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 98% 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 South Washington County Schools?
Besides Next Step Transition Program, South Washington County Schools also operates East Ridge High School (2,072 students), Park High School (1,992 students), and Woodbury High School (1,943 students). See the South Washington County 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.