Enrollment
418
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Chaska, MN
Pioneer Ridge Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Pioneer Ridge Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 270819003180
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 58
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pioneer Ridge Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 4
- middle schools in Chaska · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 17.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Pioneer Ridge Middle School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Ridge Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Chaska, MN.
School address
District: Eastern Carver County Public School · Minnesota
NCES ID 270819003180 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
17.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pioneer Ridge Middle School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pioneer Ridge Middle School
Pioneer Ridge Middle School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Chaska, Minnesota, enrolling 418 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 17.7% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the Minnesota average.
Enrollment of 418 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 339 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #104.
Its student body is predominantly White (80% of enrollment) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 209 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Eastern Carver County Public School also operates Chaska High School (1,495 students) and Chanhassen High School (1,385 students) alongside Pioneer Ridge 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 Pioneer Ridge Middle School compares
Pioneer Ridge 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 25% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 17.7% | ▼ 59% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 418 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
418
Bigger than 50% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
17.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 25% below state mean
Top 28% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
38.3%
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
$13,314
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 209 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 80.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.5%
Two or More 6.5%
African American 4.3%
Asian 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 80.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.8, Pioneer Ridge Middle School is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Eastern Carver County Public School, which includes Pioneer Ridge Middle School.
$13,314
Per student
-13%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 37.8%
State 54.5%
Federal 7.7%
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 Pioneer Ridge Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaska High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chanhassen High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Carver Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Victoria Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clover Ridge Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pioneer Ridge Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,495
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,385
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 782
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 670
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
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 (~418 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pioneer Ridge Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Pioneer Ridge Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Eastern Carver County Public School'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 Pioneer Ridge Middle School
How many students attend Pioneer Ridge Middle School?
Pioneer Ridge Middle School has 418 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Chaska, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Ridge Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pioneer Ridge Middle School is 11.9:1, which is 25% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 24% 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 Pioneer Ridge Middle School?
17.7% of students at Pioneer Ridge Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pioneer Ridge Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Pioneer Ridge Middle School is White at 80.1% of enrollment, in Chaska, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pioneer Ridge Middle School?
Pioneer Ridge Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Pioneer Ridge Middle School rank among middle schools in Chaska?
By Resource Investment Index, Pioneer Ridge Middle School ranks #2 of 4 middle schools in Chaska, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Chaska on the city page.
Is Pioneer Ridge Middle School a good school?
Pioneer Ridge Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Eastern Carver County Public School?
Besides Pioneer Ridge Middle School, Eastern Carver County Public School also operates Chaska High School (1,495 students), Chanhassen High School (1,385 students), and Carver Elementary School (782 students). See the Eastern Carver County Public School 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.