Enrollment
118
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bemidji, MN
Paul Bunyan Center
Federal NCES profile for Paul Bunyan Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270444004454
👥 S:T ratio 70
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 98
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Paul Bunyan Center earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of Minnesota schools.
- #1 of 10
- schools in Bemidji · Resource Index
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 7.4:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 56.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Paul Bunyan Center has class sizes smaller than 90% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Paul Bunyan Center ranks #1 of 10 schools in Bemidji, MN.
School address
District: Bemidji Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270444004454 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
7.4:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-53% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Paul Bunyan Center compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Paul Bunyan Center
Paul Bunyan Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Bemidji, Minnesota, enrolling 118 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 7.4:1, Paul Bunyan Center is leaner than roughly 90% of Minnesota schools and 53% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 56.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 118 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 100% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 159 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (31%) (diversity index 59/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 0.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Bemidji Public School District also operates Bemidji Senior High (1,537 students) and Bemidji Middle (967 students) alongside Paul Bunyan Center.
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 Paul Bunyan Center compares
Paul Bunyan Center on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 7.4:1 | ▼ 53% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.3% | ▲ 32% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 118 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
7.4:1
Leaner classes than 96% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
118
Bigger than 12% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
7.4:1
students per teacher
- 53% below state mean
Top 10% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
0.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
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.
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%
American Indian / Alaska Native 30.5%
Two or More 11.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.7%
African American 0.8%
Largest group: White at 55.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.9, Paul Bunyan Center is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bemidji Public School District, which includes Paul Bunyan Center.
$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 Paul Bunyan Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bemidji Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bemidji Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gene Dillon Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lincoln Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Horace May Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Paul Bunyan Center'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 (~118 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Paul Bunyan Center's federal record.
- Compare Paul Bunyan Center 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 Paul Bunyan Center
How many students attend Paul Bunyan Center?
Paul Bunyan Center has 118 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bemidji, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Paul Bunyan Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Paul Bunyan Center is 7.4:1, which is 53% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 53% 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 Paul Bunyan Center?
56.3% of students at Paul Bunyan Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Paul Bunyan Center?
The largest demographic group at Paul Bunyan Center is White at 55.1% of enrollment, in Bemidji, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Paul Bunyan Center?
Paul Bunyan Center has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (higher 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 Paul Bunyan Center rank among schools in Bemidji?
By Resource Investment Index, Paul Bunyan Center ranks #1 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 Paul Bunyan Center a good school?
Paul Bunyan Center earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of 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 Bemidji Public School District?
Besides Paul Bunyan Center, 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.