Other / mixed grade configuration · Fridley, MN

North Park School for Innovation

Federal NCES profile for North Park School for Innovation, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.

2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270951000400
0/100100/10034/100
👥 S:T ratio
25
🌟 Gifted program
70
📋 Attendance
7
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →

The verdict

North Park School for Innovation earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.

#1 of 4
schools in Fridley · Resource Index
34
Resource Index · Typical
18.8:1
large classes for Minnesota
64.0%
free-lunch eligible

North Park School for Innovation has class sizes larger than 79% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.

By Resource Investment Index, North Park School for Innovation ranks #1 of 4 schools in Fridley, MN.

Enrollment

433

Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

23.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

18.8:1

vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg

+19% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

64.0%

vs 42.8% Minnesota avg

+50% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How North Park School for Innovation compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians

Slightly above state median

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

What stands out at North Park School for Innovation

North Park School for Innovation is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fridley, Minnesota, enrolling 433 students.

Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.

Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 64.0% of students eligible for free meals.

Enrollment of 433 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.

Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.

Against 166 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #114.

Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (44%) and African American (24%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 71/100).

Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).

Its district draws 15.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.

Columbia Heights Public School Dist also operates Columbia Heights Senior High (1,141 students) and Columbia Academy (719 students) alongside North Park School for Innovation.

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 North Park School for Innovation compares

North Park School for Innovation on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.

Metric This school vs Minnesota Minnesota avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 18.8:1 ▲ 19% 15.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 64.0% ▲ 50% 42.8% 51.7%
Enrollment 433 top 32% - -

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
433
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.

Equity indicators (what these measure)

Economic need
64.0%
free-lunch eligible - 50% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher - 19% above state mean
Top 79% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.4%
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
$15,723
per pupil, district-wide - above 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
8
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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

Hispanic or Latino 43.9%
African American 23.6%
White 15.7%
Two or More 12.7%
Asian 4.2%

Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 43.9% of enrollment.

Student-body diversity index 70.9/100

Simpson diversity index - at 70.9, North Park School for Innovation is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.

Programs

Gifted & talented Yes

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Columbia Heights Public School Dist, which includes North Park School for Innovation.

$15,723
Per student
+3%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-5%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.9%
State 63.6%
Federal 15.5%

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 North Park School for Innovation Compares to District-Mates

School Enrollment Economic Profile Student-Teacher Ratio
Columbia Heights Senior High Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Columbia Academy Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Valley View Elementary Larger Similar economic need Similar S:T ratio
Highland Elementary Similar size Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio
Early Childhood Smaller Similar economic need Lower S:T ratio

Comparisons are relative to North Park School for Innovation's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.

Other Schools in This District

Columbia Heights Public School Dist · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

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.

Next steps

Verify locally before acting on North Park School for Innovation's federal record.

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 North Park School for Innovation

How many students attend North Park School for Innovation?

North Park School for Innovation has 433 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fridley, MN.

What is the student-teacher ratio at North Park School for Innovation?

The student-teacher ratio at North Park School for Innovation is 18.8:1, which is 19% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Park School for Innovation?

64.0% of students at North Park School for Innovation are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Park School for Innovation?

The largest demographic group at North Park School for Innovation is Hispanic or Latino at 43.9% of enrollment, in Fridley, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.9/100.

What is the Resource Investment Index for North Park School for Innovation?

North Park School for Innovation has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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).

How does North Park School for Innovation rank among schools in Fridley?

By Resource Investment Index, North Park School for Innovation ranks #1 of 4 schools in Fridley, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Fridley on the city page.

Is North Park School for Innovation a good school?

North Park School for Innovation earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Minnesota schools. It is also more 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 Columbia Heights Public School Dist?

Besides North Park School for Innovation, Columbia Heights Public School Dist also operates Columbia Heights Senior High (1,141 students), Columbia Academy (719 students), and Valley View Elementary (568 students). See the Columbia Heights Public School Dist district page for the complete list.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type; administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page

Full source list and how we compute each figure: methodology page.

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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.