Enrollment
43
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · New Ulm, MN
River Bend Area Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for River Bend Area Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 59/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 279135302494
👥 S:T ratio 57
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 91
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
River Bend Area Learning Center earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% of Minnesota schools.
- #1 of 6
- schools in New Ulm · Resource Index
- 59
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.8:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 52.4%
- free-lunch eligible
River Bend Area Learning Center has class sizes smaller than 78% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, River Bend Area Learning Center ranks #1 of 6 schools in New Ulm, MN.
School address
District: River Bend Education District · Minnesota
NCES ID 279135302494 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.8:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-32% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.4%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How River Bend Area Learning Center compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at River Bend Area Learning Center
River Bend Area Learning Center is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in New Ulm, Minnesota, enrolling 43 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 10.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 52.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 43 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 91% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 83 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (16%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 43 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Its district draws 20.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 29 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 43 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
River Bend Education District also operates River Bend Early Childhood Prog. (90 students) and Imprints Program (30 students) alongside River Bend Area Learning 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 River Bend Area Learning Center compares
River Bend Area Learning 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 | 10.8:1 | ▼ 32% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.4% | ▲ 22% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 43 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.8:1
Leaner classes than 84% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
43
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
10.8:1
students per teacher
- 32% below state mean
Top 22% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 78% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 43 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 29 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 67.4 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 79.1%
Hispanic or Latino 16.3%
African American 2.3%
Two or More 2.3%
Largest group: White at 79.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 34.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 34.7, River Bend Area Learning Center is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
How River Bend Area Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Bend Early Childhood Prog. | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Imprints Program | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| R.I.S.E. Program | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Raptor Program | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| W.O.R.K. Program | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to River Bend Area Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 90
- Students per teacher
- 30:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 30
- Students per teacher
- 7.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 17
- Students per teacher
- 8.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 15
- Students per teacher
- 7.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 8
- Students per teacher
- 4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~43 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on River Bend Area Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare River Bend Area Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- River Bend Education 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 River Bend Area Learning Center
How many students attend River Bend Area Learning Center?
River Bend Area Learning Center has 43 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in New Ulm, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at River Bend Area Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at River Bend Area Learning Center is 10.8:1, which is 32% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 31% 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 River Bend Area Learning Center?
52.4% of students at River Bend Area Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of River Bend Area Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at River Bend Area Learning Center is White at 79.1% of enrollment, in New Ulm, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for River Bend Area Learning Center?
River Bend Area Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 59/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does River Bend Area Learning Center rank among schools in New Ulm?
By Resource Investment Index, River Bend Area Learning Center ranks #1 of 6 schools in New Ulm, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in New Ulm on the city page.
Is River Bend Area Learning Center a good school?
River Bend Area Learning Center earns 59/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 78% 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 River Bend Education District?
Besides River Bend Area Learning Center, River Bend Education District also operates River Bend Early Childhood Prog. (90 students), Imprints Program (30 students), and R.I.S.E. Program (17 students). See the River Bend Education 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.