Enrollment
282
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bemidji, MN
Northern Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Northern Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270444000194
👥 S:T ratio 51
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 19
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northern Elementary earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #5 of 10
- schools in Bemidji · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.3:1
- students per teacher
- 28.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Northern Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northern Elementary ranks #5 of 10 schools in Bemidji, MN.
School address
District: Bemidji Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270444000194 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-22% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
28.6%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northern Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northern Elementary
Northern Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Bemidji, Minnesota, enrolling 282 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 28.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 282 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 329 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #233, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (16%) (diversity index 38/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Bemidji Public School District also operates Bemidji Senior High (1,537 students) and Bemidji Middle (967 students) alongside Northern Elementary.
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 Northern Elementary compares
Northern Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▼ 22% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 28.6% | ▼ 33% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 282 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.3:1
Leaner classes than 73% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
282
Bigger than 30% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
28.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% 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
12.3:1
students per teacher
- 22% below state mean
Top 31% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 69% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
32.3%
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
$14,614
per pupil, district-wide
- below 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
2
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.8 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 77.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 16.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Two or More 2.8%
Largest group: White at 77.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.5, Northern Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bemidji Public School District, which includes Northern Elementary.
$14,614
Per student
-4%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 67.6%
Federal 13.8%
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 Northern Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bemidji Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bemidji Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gene Dillon Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Horace May Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northern Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,537
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 967
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 667
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 320
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 300
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~282 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northern Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Northern Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Bemidji Public School District'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 Northern Elementary
How many students attend Northern Elementary?
Northern Elementary has 282 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bemidji, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northern Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Northern Elementary is 12.3:1, which is 22% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 22% 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 Northern Elementary?
28.6% of students at Northern Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northern Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Northern Elementary is White at 77.3% of enrollment, in Bemidji, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northern Elementary?
Northern Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (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 Northern Elementary rank among schools in Bemidji?
By Resource Investment Index, Northern Elementary ranks #5 of 10 schools in Bemidji, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Bemidji on the city page.
Is Northern Elementary a good school?
Northern Elementary earns 33/100 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 Bemidji Public School District?
Besides Northern Elementary, Bemidji Public School District also operates Bemidji Senior High (1,537 students), Bemidji Middle (967 students), and Gene Dillon Elementary School (667 students). See the Bemidji Public School District 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.