Enrollment
509
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Rochester, MN
Riverside Central Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Riverside Central Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 273180003077
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Riverside Central Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #7 of 25
- schools in Rochester · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.1:1
- students per teacher
- 70.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Riverside Central Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Central Elementary ranks #7 of 25 schools in Rochester, MN.
School address
District: Rochester Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 273180003077 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.1:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Riverside Central Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Riverside Central Elementary
Riverside Central Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Rochester, Minnesota, enrolling 509 students.
At 14.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need is high: 70.7% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Minnesota average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 509 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 141 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #50.
Its student body is led by White (34%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 74/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 255 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Rochester Public School District also operates Mayo Senior High (1,787 students) and Century Senior High (1,608 students) alongside Riverside Central Elementary.
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 Riverside Central Elementary compares
Riverside Central Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.1:1 | ▼ 11% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.7% | ▲ 65% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 509 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.1:1
Leaner classes than 56% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
509
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.1:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 47% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
51.7%
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
$14,165
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 255 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.3 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 33.8%
Hispanic or Latino 33.4%
African American 15.3%
Two or More 11.4%
Asian 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.4%
Largest group: White at 33.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 73.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 73.5, Riverside Central Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Rochester Public School District, which includes Riverside Central Elementary.
$14,165
Per student
-7%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.9%
State 63.1%
Federal 10.0%
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 Riverside Central Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayo Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Century Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Marshall Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Dakota Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| John Adams Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Riverside Central Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,787
- Students per teacher
- 43.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,608
- Students per teacher
- 42.3:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,549
- Students per teacher
- 43:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 921
- Students per teacher
- 36.8:1
- Resource Index
- 0/100
- Enrollment
- 867
- Students per teacher
- 45.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
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 (~509 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Riverside Central Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Riverside Central Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Rochester 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 Riverside Central Elementary
How many students attend Riverside Central Elementary?
Riverside Central Elementary has 509 students enrolled. It is a public school in Rochester, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Riverside Central Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Riverside Central Elementary is 14.1:1, which is 11% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 10% 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 Riverside Central Elementary?
70.7% of students at Riverside Central Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Riverside Central Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Riverside Central Elementary is White at 33.8% of enrollment, in Rochester, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 73.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Riverside Central Elementary?
Riverside Central Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Riverside Central Elementary rank among schools in Rochester?
By Resource Investment Index, Riverside Central Elementary ranks #7 of 25 schools in Rochester, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Rochester on the city page.
Is Riverside Central Elementary a good school?
Riverside Central Elementary earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Rochester Public School District?
Besides Riverside Central Elementary, Rochester Public School District also operates Mayo Senior High (1,787 students), Century Senior High (1,608 students), and John Marshall Senior High (1,549 students). See the Rochester 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.