Enrollment
269
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Saint Peter, MN
South Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for South Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 273387001639
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 46
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median.
- #2 of 3
- elementary schools in Saint Peter · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.4:1
- students per teacher
- 37.1%
- free-lunch eligible
South Elementary School has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Saint Peter, MN.
School address
District: St. Peter Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 273387001639 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.4:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.1%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Elementary School compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Elementary School
South Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Saint Peter, Minnesota, enrolling 269 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 37.1% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 269 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 304 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #136.
Its student body is led by White (71%) and Hispanic or Latino (20%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 269 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.9% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
St. Peter Public School District also operates St. Peter High School (692 students) and St. Peter Middle School (617 students) alongside South 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 South Elementary School compares
South 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 | 13.4:1 | ▼ 15% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.1% | ▼ 13% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 269 | top 49% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.4:1
Leaner classes than 63% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
269
Bigger than 28% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% below the Minnesota average of 42.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
13.4:1
students per teacher
- 15% below state mean
Top 40% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 60% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.9%
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
$14,689
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 269 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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 71.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.4%
African American 4.5%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 71.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 45.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 45.1, South Elementary School is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Peter Public School District, which includes South Elementary School.
$14,689
Per student
-4%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-11%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.5%
State 66.2%
Federal 10.3%
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 South Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Peter High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. Peter Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| St. Peter Ecse | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oshawa Learning Academy | Smaller | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to South Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 692
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 617
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 429
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 56/100
- Enrollment
- 61
- Students per teacher
- 6.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 25
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~269 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare South Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- St. Peter 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 South Elementary School
How many students attend South Elementary School?
South Elementary School has 269 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Saint Peter, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elementary School is 13.4:1, which is 15% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 15% 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 South Elementary School?
37.1% of students at South Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Elementary School is White at 71.0% of enrollment, in Saint Peter, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elementary School?
South Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 South Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Saint Peter?
By Resource Investment Index, South Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 elementary schools in Saint Peter, 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 Saint Peter on the city page.
Is South Elementary School a good school?
South Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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 St. Peter Public School District?
Besides South Elementary School, St. Peter Public School District also operates St. Peter High School (692 students), St. Peter Middle School (617 students), and North Elementary School (429 students). See the St. Peter 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.