Enrollment
22
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alexandria, MN
Runestone Alternative School
Federal NCES profile for Runestone Alternative School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270001602224
👥 S:T ratio 82
🌟 Gifted program 30
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Runestone Alternative School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% of Minnesota schools.
- #3 of 9
- public schools in Alexandria · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 4.4:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 62.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Runestone Alternative School has class sizes smaller than 96% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Runestone Alternative School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Alexandria, MN.
School address
District: Runestone Area Education District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270001602224 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
5.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
4.4:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-72% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Runestone Alternative School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Runestone Alternative School
Runestone Alternative School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Alexandria, Minnesota, enrolling 22 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 4.4:1, Runestone Alternative School is leaner than roughly 96% of Minnesota schools and 72% 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 62.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 22 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 82 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Its district draws 22.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 13 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 22 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Runestone Area Education District operates only this one school, so Runestone Alternative School has no district-mates to compare against locally.
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 Runestone Alternative School compares
Runestone Alternative 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 | 4.4:1 | ▼ 72% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.3% | ▲ 46% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 22 | top 88% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
4.4:1
Leaner classes than 99% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
22
Bigger than 3% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% 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
4.4:1
students per teacher
- 72% below state mean
Top 4% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 96% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 59.1 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 81.8%
African American 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.5%
Two or More 4.5%
Largest group: White at 81.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 32.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 32.3, Runestone Alternative School is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
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 (~22 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Runestone Alternative School's federal record.
- Compare Runestone Alternative School against another school. Compare schools
- Runestone Area 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 Runestone Alternative School
How many students attend Runestone Alternative School?
Runestone Alternative School has 22 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Alexandria, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Runestone Alternative School?
The student-teacher ratio at Runestone Alternative School is 4.4:1, which is 72% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 72% 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 Runestone Alternative School?
62.3% of students at Runestone Alternative School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Runestone Alternative School?
The largest demographic group at Runestone Alternative School is White at 81.8% of enrollment, in Alexandria, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Runestone Alternative School?
Runestone Alternative School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does Runestone Alternative School rank among public schools in Alexandria?
By Resource Investment Index, Runestone Alternative School ranks #3 of 9 public schools in Alexandria, 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 Alexandria on the city page.
Is Runestone Alternative School a good school?
Runestone Alternative School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 96% 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 Runestone Area Education District?
None reported; Runestone Area Education District operates only Runestone Alternative School as a public school district in NCES's records.
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.