Enrollment
31
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 270044212737
Nla-Carlton — Carlton, MN
Federal NCES profile for Nla-Carlton, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 72/100.
👥 Class size 72
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Northern Lights Academy Cooperative · Minnesota
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
2.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
-56% 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
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Nla-Carlton reports 31 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 2.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 7:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 56% below the Minnesota state mean of 15.9:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 56% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 78.6% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 84% above the Minnesota average and 52% above the national baseline.
On the finance side, the surrounding Northern Lights Academy Cooperative spends $78,519 per pupil district-wide, above the Minnesota average of $21,113 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 10.7% from local sources (property taxes), 87.3% from the state, and 2.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 72/100 (B), calculated from 1 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Nla-Carlton compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Minnesota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7:1 | ▼ 56% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 78.6% | ▲ 84% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 31 | top 15% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
78.6%
free-lunch eligible
— 84% 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
7:1
students per teacher
— 56% below state mean
Top 10% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Funding equity
$78,519
per pupil, district-wide
— above Minnesota avg of $21,113
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Overview
Enrollment 31 Top 15% in Minnesota — larger than 85% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 2.0
Students per teacher 7:1 -56% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 78.6% +84% vs state
NCES ID 270044212737
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.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northern Lights Academy Cooperative, which includes Nla-Carlton.
$78,519
Per student
+272%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
+303%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 14
- Students per teacher
- 5.3:1
- Enrollment
- 5
- Students per teacher
- 5:1
Similar other schools in Carlton
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Nla-Carlton
How many students attend Nla-Carlton?
Nla-Carlton has 31 students enrolled. It is a other school in CARLTON, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nla-Carlton?
The student-teacher ratio at Nla-Carlton is 7:1, which is 56% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 56% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. 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%. The school serves a diverse student body in CARLTON, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nla-Carlton?
Nla-Carlton has a Resource Investment Index of 72/100 (B) based on 1 factor: student-teacher ratio. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.