Enrollment
277
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Montevideo, MN
Sanford Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sanford Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 272132001074
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sanford Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Montevideo · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.3:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 50.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sanford Elementary School has class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sanford Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Montevideo, MN.
School address
District: Montevideo Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 272132001074 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.8%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sanford Elementary School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sanford Elementary School
Sanford Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Montevideo, Minnesota, enrolling 277 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.3:1 is larger than about 87% of Minnesota schools and 35% above the 15.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 277 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 206 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #78.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%) (diversity index 50/100).
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Montevideo Public School District also operates Montevideo Senior High (408 students) and Montevideo Middle (393 students) alongside Sanford Elementary 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 Sanford Elementary School compares
Sanford Elementary 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 | 21.3:1 | ▲ 35% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.8% | ▲ 19% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.3:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
21.3:1
students per teacher
- 35% above state mean
Top 87% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 13% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
8.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$14,353
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 64.6%
Hispanic or Latino 27.4%
Two or More 5.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.4%
African American 0.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 64.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.4, Sanford Elementary School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Montevideo Public School District, which includes Sanford Elementary School.
$14,353
Per student
-6%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.1%
State 69.2%
Federal 9.7%
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 Sanford Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montevideo Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Montevideo Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ramsey Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hawks Nest Early Childhood Center | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sanford Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 408
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 393
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 260
- Students per teacher
- 11.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 34
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar elementary 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 (~277 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sanford Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sanford Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Montevideo 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 Sanford Elementary School
How many students attend Sanford Elementary School?
Sanford Elementary School has 277 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Montevideo, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sanford Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sanford Elementary School is 21.3:1, which is 35% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sanford Elementary School?
50.8% of students at Sanford Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sanford Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sanford Elementary School is White at 64.6% of enrollment, in Montevideo, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sanford Elementary School?
Sanford Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (typical 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 Sanford Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Montevideo?
By Resource Investment Index, Sanford Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Montevideo, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Montevideo on the city page.
Is Sanford Elementary School a good school?
Sanford Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% 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 Montevideo Public School District?
Besides Sanford Elementary School, Montevideo Public School District also operates Montevideo Senior High (408 students), Montevideo Middle (393 students), and Ramsey Elementary (260 students). See the Montevideo 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.