Enrollment
24
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Brooklyn Center, MN
School #538
Federal NCES profile for School #538, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270002504929
👥 S:T ratio 76
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 93
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
School #538 earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 9
- schools in Brooklyn Center · Resource Index
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 6:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
School #538 has class sizes smaller than 92% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, School #538 ranks #2 of 9 schools in Brooklyn Center, MN.
School address
District: Intermediate School District 287 · Minnesota
NCES ID 270002504929 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
4.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
6:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-62% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How School #538 compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at School #538
School #538 is a small combined-grade school in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, enrolling 24 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 6:1, School #538 is leaner than roughly 92% of Minnesota schools and 62% under the state's 15.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 41.7% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 24 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 97% of the 2,334 Minnesota schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 49 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #2, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 37 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Intermediate School District 287 also operates Tier Two (274 students) and Tier Three (226 students) alongside School #538.
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 School #538 compares
School #538 on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 6:1 | ▼ 62% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 3% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 24 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
6:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
24
Bigger than 3% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
6:1
students per teacher
- 62% below state mean
Top 8% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Support staff
Counselors0.6 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.
Programs
How School #538 Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier Two | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tier Three | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| West Education Center Alternative | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hennepin Gateway to College | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Education Center Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to School #538's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 274
- Students per teacher
- 4.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 226
- Students per teacher
- 3.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 99
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 73
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 48
- Students per teacher
- 8:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~24 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on School #538's federal record.
- Compare School #538 against another school. Compare schools
- Intermediate School District 287'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 School #538
How many students attend School #538?
School #538 has 24 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Brooklyn Center, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at School #538?
The student-teacher ratio at School #538 is 6:1, which is 62% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 62% 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 School #538?
41.7% of students at School #538 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for School #538?
School #538 has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (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 School #538 rank among schools in Brooklyn Center?
By Resource Investment Index, School #538 ranks #2 of 9 schools in Brooklyn Center, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Brooklyn Center on the city page.
Is School #538 a good school?
School #538 earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% 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 Intermediate School District 287?
Besides School #538, Intermediate School District 287 also operates Tier Two (274 students), Tier Three (226 students), and West Education Center Alternative (99 students). See the Intermediate School District 287 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.