Enrollment
1,992
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Cottage Grove, MN
Park High School
Federal NCES profile for Park High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 273381001543
👥 S:T ratio 0
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Park High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Minnesota.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Cottage Grove · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 36.2:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 25.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Park High School has class sizes larger than 97% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Park High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Cottage Grove, MN.
School address
District: South Washington County Schools · Minnesota
NCES ID 273381001543 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
55.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
36.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+129% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Park High School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Park High School
Park High School is a large high school in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, enrolling 1,992 students.
Class loads run heavy: 36.2:1 is larger than about 97% of Minnesota schools and 129% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 25.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,992 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 62 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #25.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 61/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 332 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
South Washington County Schools also operates East Ridge High School (2,072 students) and Woodbury High School (1,943 students) alongside Park High 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 Park High School compares
Park High 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 | 36.2:1 | ▲ 129% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.0% | ▼ 42% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,992 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
36.2:1
Leaner classes than 1% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,992
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
25.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
36.2:1
students per teacher
- 129% above state mean
Top 97% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 3% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
30.9%
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
$13,382
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 332 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 145 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 7.4 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 58.8%
Hispanic or Latino 13.1%
Asian 10.3%
African American 9.7%
Two or More 7.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 58.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.1, Park High School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Washington County Schools, which includes Park High School.
$13,382
Per student
-12%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-19%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 59.0%
Federal 6.9%
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 Park High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Ridge High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbury High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lake Middle School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodbury Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cottage Grove Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Park High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,072
- Students per teacher
- 44.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,943
- Students per teacher
- 43.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,165
- Students per teacher
- 53:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,160
- Students per teacher
- 38.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,005
- Students per teacher
- 27.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high 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 (~1,992 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~36.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Park High School's federal record.
- Compare Park High School against another school. Compare schools
- South Washington County Schools'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 Park High School
How many students attend Park High School?
Park High School has 1,992 students enrolled. It is a high school in Cottage Grove, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Park High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Park High School is 36.2:1, which is 129% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 131% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Park High School?
25.0% of students at Park High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Park High School?
The largest demographic group at Park High School is White at 58.8% of enrollment, in Cottage Grove, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Park High School?
Park High School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Park High School rank among high schools in Cottage Grove?
By Resource Investment Index, Park High School ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Cottage Grove, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Cottage Grove on the city page.
Is Park High School a good school?
Park High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 97% of Minnesota schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Minnesota. 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 South Washington County Schools?
Besides Park High School, South Washington County Schools also operates East Ridge High School (2,072 students), Woodbury High School (1,943 students), and Lake Middle School (1,165 students). See the South Washington County Schools 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.