Enrollment
31
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Carlton, MN
Nla-Carlton
Federal NCES profile for Nla-Carlton, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270044212737
👥 S:T ratio 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nla-Carlton earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #3 of 3
- schools in Carlton · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.5:1
- students per teacher
- 78.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Nla-Carlton has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nla-Carlton ranks #3 of 3 schools in Carlton, MN.
School address
District: Northern Lights Academy Cooperative · Minnesota
NCES ID 270044212737 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.5:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
78.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+84% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nla-Carlton compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nla-Carlton
Nla-Carlton is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Carlton, Minnesota, enrolling 31 students.
At 15.5:1, 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 is high: 78.6% of students qualify for free meals, 84% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 31 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 62 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #33.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and Two or More (13%) (diversity index 42/100).
The surrounding Northern Lights Academy Cooperative spends $45,778 per pupil, 200% above the Minnesota average, a better-resourced district than most.
Northern Lights Academy Cooperative also operates Northern Lights Academy (14 students) and Northern Lights Academy Cooperative (5 students) alongside Nla-Carlton.
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 Nla-Carlton compares
Nla-Carlton on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.5:1 | ▼ 2% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.6% | ▲ 84% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 31 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.5:1
Leaner classes than 42% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
31
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
78.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 84% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.5:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 58% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Funding equity
$45,778
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
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 74.2%
Two or More 12.9%
African American 6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.5%
Largest group: White at 74.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.4, Nla-Carlton is about as mixed as the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northern Lights Academy Cooperative, which includes Nla-Carlton.
$45,778
Per student
+200%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
+176%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 10.7%
State 87.3%
Federal 2.0%
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 Nla-Carlton Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Lights Academy | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northern Lights Academy Cooperative | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nla-Carlton's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 14
- Students per teacher
- 4.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 5
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
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 (~31 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nla-Carlton's federal record.
- Compare Nla-Carlton against another school. Compare schools
- Northern Lights Academy Cooperative'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 Nla-Carlton
How many students attend Nla-Carlton?
Nla-Carlton has 31 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Carlton, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nla-Carlton?
The student-teacher ratio at Nla-Carlton is 15.5:1, which is 2% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 1% 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 Nla-Carlton?
78.6% of students at Nla-Carlton are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nla-Carlton?
The largest demographic group at Nla-Carlton is White at 74.2% of enrollment, in Carlton, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nla-Carlton?
Nla-Carlton has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Nla-Carlton rank among schools in Carlton?
By Resource Investment Index, Nla-Carlton ranks #3 of 3 schools in Carlton, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Carlton on the city page.
Is Nla-Carlton a good school?
Nla-Carlton earns 38/100 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 Northern Lights Academy Cooperative?
Besides Nla-Carlton, Northern Lights Academy Cooperative also operates Northern Lights Academy (14 students) and Northern Lights Academy Cooperative (5 students). See the Northern Lights Academy Cooperative 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.