Enrollment
1,015
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Owatonna, MN
Owatonna Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Owatonna Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 272805001227
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 82
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Owatonna Middle School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #9 of 12
- public schools in Owatonna · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.1:1
- students per teacher
- 39.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Owatonna Middle School has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Owatonna Middle School ranks #9 of 12 public schools in Owatonna, MN.
School address
District: Owatonna Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 272805001227 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
63.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Owatonna Middle School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Owatonna Middle School
Owatonna Middle School is a large middle school in Owatonna, Minnesota, enrolling 1,015 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 39.0% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,015 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 144 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #68.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 47/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 508 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 7.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Owatonna Public School District also operates Owatonna Senior High (1,468 students) and Mckinley Elementary (510 students) alongside Owatonna Middle School.
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 Owatonna Middle School compares
Owatonna Middle 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 | 16.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.0% | ▼ 9% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,015 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,015
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 9% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 63% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 37% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
7.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,242
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 508 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
88
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.5 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 70.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.4%
African American 6.6%
Two or More 4.1%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 70.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.0, Owatonna Middle School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Owatonna Public School District, which includes Owatonna Middle School.
$13,242
Per student
-13%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.1%
State 65.6%
Federal 10.4%
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 Owatonna Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owatonna Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mckinley Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Washington Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wilson Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Owatonna Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,468
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 510
- Students per teacher
- 14.2:1
- Resource Index
- 61/100
- Enrollment
- 505
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 64/100
- Enrollment
- 468
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 68/100
- Enrollment
- 454
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 62/100
Similar middle 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 (~1,015 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Owatonna Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Owatonna Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Owatonna 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 Owatonna Middle School
How many students attend Owatonna Middle School?
Owatonna Middle School has 1,015 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Owatonna, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Owatonna Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Owatonna Middle School is 16.1:1, which is 2% 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 Owatonna Middle School?
39.0% of students at Owatonna Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Owatonna Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Owatonna Middle School is White at 70.0% of enrollment, in Owatonna, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Owatonna Middle School?
Owatonna Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Owatonna Middle School rank among public schools in Owatonna?
By Resource Investment Index, Owatonna Middle School ranks #9 of 12 public schools in Owatonna, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Owatonna on the city page.
Is Owatonna Middle School a good school?
Owatonna Middle School earns 37/100 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 Owatonna Public School District?
Besides Owatonna Middle School, Owatonna Public School District also operates Owatonna Senior High (1,468 students), Mckinley Elementary (510 students), and Lincoln Elementary (505 students). See the Owatonna 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.