Enrollment
497
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Park Rapids, MN
Park Rapids Area Century Middle
Federal NCES profile for Park Rapids Area Century Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 272808001236
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Park Rapids Area Century Middle earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Park Rapids · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 48.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Park Rapids Area Century Middle has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Park Rapids Area Century Middle ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Park Rapids, MN.
School address
District: Park Rapids Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 272808001236 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Park Rapids Area Century Middle compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Park Rapids Area Century Middle
Park Rapids Area Century Middle is a mid-sized elementary school in Park Rapids, Minnesota, enrolling 497 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 48.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 497 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 290 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #233, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 193 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 497 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Park Rapids Public School District also operates Park Rapids Area Century Elementary (861 students) and Park Rapids Senior High (420 students) alongside Park Rapids Area Century Middle.
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 Rapids Area Century Middle compares
Park Rapids Area Century Middle on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.1:1 | ▼ 17% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.3% | ▲ 13% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 497 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
497
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 38% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 62% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.4%
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
$13,193
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
100
in-school suspensions + 93 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 38.8 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.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Park Rapids Public School District, which includes Park Rapids Area Century Middle.
$13,193
Per student
-14%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.5%
State 63.0%
Federal 10.5%
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 Park Rapids Area Century Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park Rapids Area Century Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Rapids Senior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Frank White Education Center | Smaller | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Headwaters Educ Learning Program | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Park Rapids Virtual Academy High | Smaller | No free-lunch data | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Park Rapids Area Century Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 861
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 420
- Students per teacher
- 12.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 80
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 57/100
- Enrollment
- 50
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 10/100
- Enrollment
- 21
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 15/100
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 (~497 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Park Rapids Area Century Middle's federal record.
- Compare Park Rapids Area Century Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Park Rapids 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 Park Rapids Area Century Middle
How many students attend Park Rapids Area Century Middle?
Park Rapids Area Century Middle has 497 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Park Rapids, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Park Rapids Area Century Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Park Rapids Area Century Middle is 13.1:1, which is 17% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 17% 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 Park Rapids Area Century Middle?
48.3% of students at Park Rapids Area Century Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Park Rapids Area Century Middle?
Park Rapids Area Century Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Park Rapids Area Century Middle rank among public schools in Park Rapids?
By Resource Investment Index, Park Rapids Area Century Middle ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Park Rapids, 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 Park Rapids on the city page.
Is Park Rapids Area Century Middle a good school?
Park Rapids Area Century Middle earns 29/100 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 Park Rapids Public School District?
Besides Park Rapids Area Century Middle, Park Rapids Public School District also operates Park Rapids Area Century Elementary (861 students), Park Rapids Senior High (420 students), and Frank White Education Center (80 students). See the Park Rapids 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.