Enrollment
249
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Nisswa, MN
Nisswa Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Nisswa Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 52/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270609000257
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nisswa Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- 52
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.4:1
- students per teacher
- 26.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 249
- students enrolled
Nisswa Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Brainerd Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270609000257 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.4:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
26.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nisswa Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nisswa Elementary
Nisswa Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Nisswa, Minnesota, enrolling 249 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 26.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 249 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 261 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #25, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 12/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Brainerd Public School District also operates Brainerd Senior High (1,805 students) and Forestview Middle (1,626 students) alongside Nisswa 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 Nisswa Elementary compares
Nisswa 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 | 12.4:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 26.1% | ▼ 39% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 249 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.4:1
Leaner classes than 72% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
249
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
26.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
12.4:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 32% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
9.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 + 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 93.6%
Two or More 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 93.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 12.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 12.2, Nisswa Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Brainerd Public School District, which includes Nisswa Elementary.
$14,387
Per student
-6%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.0%
State 59.2%
Federal 11.8%
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 Nisswa Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brainerd Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forestview Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Baxter Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Riverside Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lowell Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nisswa Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,805
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 12/100
- Enrollment
- 1,626
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 407
- Students per teacher
- 9.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 355
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar other 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 (~249 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nisswa Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Nisswa Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Brainerd 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 Nisswa Elementary
How many students attend Nisswa Elementary?
Nisswa Elementary has 249 students enrolled. It is a public school in Nisswa, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nisswa Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Nisswa Elementary is 12.4:1, which is 22% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 21% 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 Nisswa Elementary?
26.1% of students at Nisswa Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nisswa Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Nisswa Elementary is White at 93.6% of enrollment, in Nisswa, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nisswa Elementary?
Nisswa Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 52/100 (higher 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).
Is Nisswa Elementary a good school?
Nisswa Elementary earns 52/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also less 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 Brainerd Public School District?
Besides Nisswa Elementary, Brainerd Public School District also operates Brainerd Senior High (1,805 students), Forestview Middle (1,626 students), and Baxter Elementary (506 students). See the Brainerd 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.