Enrollment
485
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Saint Paul, MN
Nova Classical Academy Lower School
Federal NCES profile for Nova Classical Academy Lower School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270033704175Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Nova Classical Academy Lower School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #15 of 26
- elementary schools in Saint Paul · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 15.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Nova Classical Academy Lower School has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Nova Classical Academy Lower School ranks #15 of 26 elementary schools in Saint Paul, MN.
School address
District: Nova Classical Academy · Minnesota
NCES ID 270033704175 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-63% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Nova Classical Academy Lower School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Nova Classical Academy Lower School
Nova Classical Academy Lower School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized charter elementary school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, enrolling 485 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 15.7% free-meal eligibility runs 63% below the Minnesota average.
Enrollment of 485 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 352 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #245.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and African American (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 485 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Nova Classical Academy spends $9,962 per pupil, 35% below the Minnesota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district, Nova Classical Academy, also runs Nova Classical Academy Upper School (556 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 Nova Classical Academy Lower School compares
Nova Classical Academy Lower School on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.7% | ▼ 63% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 485 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
485
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 63% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 64% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$9,962
per pupil, district-wide
- below Minnesota avg of $15,270
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 485 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 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 55.1%
African American 17.1%
Asian 12.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.6%
Two or More 7.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 55.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.0, Nova Classical Academy Lower School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Nova Classical Academy, which includes Nova Classical Academy Lower School.
$9,962
Per student
-35%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-40%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.9%
State 89.9%
Federal 4.2%
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 Nova Classical Academy Lower School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Classical Academy Upper School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Nova Classical Academy Lower School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 556
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~485 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Nova Classical Academy Lower School's federal record.
- Compare Nova Classical Academy Lower School against another school. Compare schools
- Nova Classical 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 Nova Classical Academy Lower School
How many students attend Nova Classical Academy Lower School?
Nova Classical Academy Lower School has 485 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Saint Paul, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Nova Classical Academy Lower School?
The student-teacher ratio at Nova Classical Academy Lower School is 16.2:1, which is 3% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Nova Classical Academy Lower School?
15.7% of students at Nova Classical Academy Lower School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Nova Classical Academy Lower School?
The largest demographic group at Nova Classical Academy Lower School is White at 55.1% of enrollment, in Saint Paul, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Nova Classical Academy Lower School?
Nova Classical Academy Lower School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical 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 Nova Classical Academy Lower School rank among elementary schools in Saint Paul?
By Resource Investment Index, Nova Classical Academy Lower School ranks #15 of 26 elementary schools in Saint Paul, 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 Saint Paul on the city page.
Is Nova Classical Academy Lower School a good school?
Nova Classical Academy Lower School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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 Nova Classical Academy?
Besides Nova Classical Academy Lower School, Nova Classical Academy also operates Nova Classical Academy Upper School (556 students). See the Nova Classical 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.