Enrollment
572
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Duluth, MN
North Star Academy
Federal NCES profile for North Star Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 24/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270013302711Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 64
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Star Academy earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of Minnesota schools.
- #7 of 8
- elementary schools in Duluth · Resource Index
- 24
- Resource Index · Lower
- 8.9:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 39.8%
- free-lunch eligible
North Star Academy has class sizes smaller than 85% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, North Star Academy ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Duluth, MN.
School address
District: Duluth Public Schools Academy · Minnesota
NCES ID 270013302711 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
8.9:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-44% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Star Academy compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Star Academy
North Star Academy is a mid-sized charter elementary school in Duluth, Minnesota, enrolling 572 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 8.9:1, North Star Academy is leaner than roughly 85% of Minnesota schools and 44% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 39.8% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 572 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.
Among 368 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #326, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and Two or More (17%) (diversity index 51/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 572 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 65.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 318 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 572 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Its district, Duluth Public Schools Academy, also runs Raleigh Primary/El Academy (208 students).
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 Star Academy compares
North Star Academy on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 8.9:1 | ▼ 44% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.8% | ▼ 7% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 572 | top 20% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
8.9:1
Leaner classes than 93% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
572
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
8.9:1
students per teacher
- 44% below state mean
Top 15% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
65.4%
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
$17,888
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 572 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
139
in-school suspensions + 179 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 24.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 55.6 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
White 67.3%
Two or More 16.8%
African American 7.7%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.5%
Asian 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.0, North Star Academy is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Duluth Public Schools Academy, which includes North Star Academy.
$17,888
Per student
+17%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
+8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 2.3%
State 84.1%
Federal 13.5%
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 Star Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh Primary/El Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Star Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 208
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar elementary 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 (~572 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Star Academy's federal record.
- Compare North Star Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Duluth Public Schools Academy'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 North Star Academy
How many students attend North Star Academy?
North Star Academy has 572 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Duluth, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Star Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at North Star Academy is 8.9:1, which is 44% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 43% 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 North Star Academy?
39.8% of students at North Star Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Star Academy?
The largest demographic group at North Star Academy is White at 67.3% of enrollment, in Duluth, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Star Academy?
North Star Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does North Star Academy rank among elementary schools in Duluth?
By Resource Investment Index, North Star Academy ranks #7 of 8 elementary schools in Duluth, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Duluth on the city page.
Is North Star Academy a good school?
North Star Academy earns 24/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of 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 Duluth Public Schools Academy?
Besides North Star Academy, Duluth Public Schools Academy also operates Raleigh Primary/El Academy (208 students). See the Duluth Public Schools Academy 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.