Enrollment
220
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 270017705239 Charter school
North Lakes Academy Elementary — Forest Lake, MN
Federal NCES profile for North Lakes Academy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 16/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 19
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: North Lakes Academy · 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)
10.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
28.3:1
vs 15.9:1 Minnesota avg
+78% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-34% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Lakes Academy Elementary 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
North Lakes Academy Elementary reports 220 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 10.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 28.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 78% above the Minnesota state mean of 15.9:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 78% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 28.3% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 34% below the Minnesota average and 45% below the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 32.3% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding North Lakes Academy spends $15,411 per pupil district-wide, below the Minnesota average of $21,113 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 2.5% from local sources (property taxes), 84.5% from the state, and 13.0% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 North Lakes Academy Elementary 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 | 28.3:1 | ▲ 78% | 15.9:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.3% | ▼ 34% | 42.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 220 | top 45% | — | — |
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
28.3%
free-lunch eligible
— 34% 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
28.3:1
students per teacher
— 78% above state mean
Top 95% in Minnesota — lower ratio than 5% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
32.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$15,411
per pupil, district-wide
— below Minnesota avg of $21,113
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
1
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 220 Top 45% in Minnesota — larger than 55% of 2,391 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 10.0
Students per teacher 28.3:1 +78% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 28.3% -34% vs state
NCES ID 270017705239
Student demographics
White 82.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.5%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 3.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.3%
African American 1.8%
Largest group: White at 82.3% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Counselors (FTE) 0.0
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 32.3%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 3
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for North Lakes Academy, which includes North Lakes Academy Elementary.
$15,411
Per student
-27%
vs Minnesota
Avg $21,113
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 2.5%
State 84.5%
Federal 13.0%
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
- 245
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 157
- Students per teacher
- 12.1:1
Similar elementary schools in Forest Lake
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) 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 North Lakes Academy Elementary
How many students attend North Lakes Academy Elementary?
North Lakes Academy Elementary has 220 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in FOREST LAKE, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Lakes Academy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at North Lakes Academy Elementary is 28.3:1, which is 78% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.9:1 and 78% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Lakes Academy Elementary?
28.3% of students at North Lakes Academy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Lakes Academy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at North Lakes Academy Elementary is White at 82.3%. The school serves a diverse student body in FOREST LAKE, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Lakes Academy Elementary?
North Lakes Academy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 16/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.