Enrollment
367
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 381941000682
South Elementary School — West Fargo, ND
Federal NCES profile for South Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 55/100.
👥 Class size 51
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 73
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: West Fargo 6 · North Dakota
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.3:1
vs 11.7:1 North Dakota avg
+5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
25.7%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
-9% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
South Elementary School reports 367 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 31.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 12.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 5% above the North Dakota state mean of 11.7:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 23% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 25.7% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 9% below the North Dakota average and 50% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 367 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 10.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding West Fargo 6 spends $17,878 per pupil district-wide, below the North Dakota average of $22,219 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 35.6% from local sources (property taxes), 52.9% from the state, and 11.4% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against North Dakota state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 12.3:1 | ▲ 5% | 11.7:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 25.7% | ▼ 9% | 28.2% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 367 | top 81% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
25.7%
free-lunch eligible
— 9% below the North Dakota average of 28.2%
Below the 40% Title I threshold — federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
12.3:1
students per teacher
— 5% above state mean
Top 60% in North Dakota — lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
10.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$17,878
per pupil, district-wide
— below North Dakota avg of $22,219
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 367 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.6 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 367 Top 81% in North Dakota — larger than 19% of 499 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 31.0
Students per teacher 12.3:1 +5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 25.7% -9% vs state
NCES ID 381941000682
Student demographics
White 61.9%
African American 18.8%
Two or More 7.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 4.1%
Asian 1.6%
Largest group: White at 61.9% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 367:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 10.9%
In-school suspensions 1
Out-of-school suspensions 5
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for West Fargo 6, which includes South Elementary School.
$17,878
Per student
-20%
vs North Dakota
Avg $22,219
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 35.6%
State 52.9%
Federal 11.4%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,400
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Enrollment
- 1,380
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,103
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Enrollment
- 1,006
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Enrollment
- 799
- Students per teacher
- 12.8:1
Similar elementary schools in West Fargo
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Brooks Harbor Elementary School
Standard public school
537 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Freedom Elementary School
Standard public school
473 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Legacy Elementary School
Standard public school
456 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Westside Elementary School
Standard public school
397 students 11.8:1 students per teacher
Eastwood Elementary School
Standard public school
387 students 10.8:1 students per teacher
Aurora Elementary School
Standard public school
377 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about South Elementary School
How many students attend South Elementary School?
South Elementary School has 367 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in West Fargo, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Elementary School is 12.3:1, which is 5% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.7:1 and 23% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Elementary School?
25.7% of students at South Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the North Dakota average of 28.2%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Elementary School is White at 61.9%. The school serves a diverse student body in West Fargo, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Elementary School?
South Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (C) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.