Enrollment
275
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Albert Lea, MN
Sibley Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Sibley Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270297000077
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sibley Elementary earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 9
- public schools in Albert Lea · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 56.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sibley Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sibley Elementary ranks #2 of 9 public schools in Albert Lea, MN.
School address
District: Albert Lea Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270297000077 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.0%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sibley Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sibley Elementary
Sibley Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Albert Lea, Minnesota, enrolling 275 students.
At 13.8:1, 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 runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 56.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 275 students, its enrollment sits close to the Minnesota median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 169 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #4, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 275 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
13.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Albert Lea Public School District also operates Albert Lea Senior High (1,196 students) and Southwest Middle (486 students) alongside Sibley 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 Sibley Elementary compares
Sibley 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 | 13.8:1 | ▼ 13% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.0% | ▲ 31% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 275 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
275
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 44% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
13.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$15,247
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 275 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
4
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 52.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.0%
Asian 19.6%
Two or More 4.4%
African American 4.0%
Largest group: White at 52.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.8, Sibley Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Albert Lea Public School District, which includes Sibley Elementary.
$15,247
Per student
0%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.8%
State 69.9%
Federal 12.3%
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 Sibley Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Lea Senior High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Southwest Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hawthorne Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeview Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Halverson Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sibley Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 360
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
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 (~275 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sibley Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Sibley Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Albert Lea 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 Sibley Elementary
How many students attend Sibley Elementary?
Sibley Elementary has 275 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Albert Lea, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sibley Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Sibley Elementary is 13.8:1, which is 13% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 12% 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 Sibley Elementary?
56.0% of students at Sibley Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sibley Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Sibley Elementary is White at 52.0% of enrollment, in Albert Lea, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sibley Elementary?
Sibley Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Sibley Elementary rank among public schools in Albert Lea?
By Resource Investment Index, Sibley Elementary ranks #2 of 9 public schools in Albert Lea, 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 Albert Lea on the city page.
Is Sibley Elementary a good school?
Sibley Elementary earns 57/100 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 Albert Lea Public School District?
Besides Sibley Elementary, Albert Lea Public School District also operates Albert Lea Senior High (1,196 students), Southwest Middle (486 students), and Hawthorne Elementary (400 students). See the Albert Lea 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.