Enrollment
831
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Saint Cloud, MN
South Junior High
Federal NCES profile for South Junior High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 273351001492
👥 S:T ratio 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Junior High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #7 of 17
- public schools in Saint Cloud · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.3:1
- large classes for Minnesota
- 66.3%
- free-lunch eligible
South Junior High has class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Junior High ranks #7 of 17 public schools in Saint Cloud, MN.
School address
District: St. Cloud Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 273351001492 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.3:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+35% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.3%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Junior High compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Junior High
South Junior High is a higher-need, large middle school in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, enrolling 831 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 66.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Minnesota, bigger than 91% of state schools at 831 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 83 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #16.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and African American (39%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 264 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.7% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
St. Cloud Public School District also operates Technical Senior High (1,561 students) and Apollo Senior High (1,264 students) alongside South Junior High.
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 Junior High compares
South Junior High 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 | 66.3% | ▲ 55% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 831 | top 9% | - | - |
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.
831
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
26.0%
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
$15,904
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors3.2 FTE
Per 264 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 41.5%
African American 38.6%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 7.5%
Asian 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 41.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.5, South Junior High is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for St. Cloud Public School District, which includes South Junior High.
$15,904
Per student
+4%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-4%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.7%
State 61.7%
Federal 19.7%
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 South Junior High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technical Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Apollo Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Hill Community Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| North Junior High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Madison Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Junior High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,561
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,264
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 878
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 21.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar middle 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 (~831 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Junior High's federal record.
- Compare South Junior High against another school. Compare schools
- St. Cloud 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 Junior High
How many students attend South Junior High?
South Junior High has 831 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Saint Cloud, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Junior High?
The student-teacher ratio at South Junior High 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 South Junior High?
66.3% of students at South Junior High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Junior High?
The largest demographic group at South Junior High is White at 41.5% of enrollment, in Saint Cloud, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Junior High?
South Junior High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Junior High rank among public schools in Saint Cloud?
By Resource Investment Index, South Junior High ranks #7 of 17 public schools in Saint Cloud, 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 Saint Cloud on the city page.
Is South Junior High a good school?
South Junior High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 87% of Minnesota schools. 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 St. Cloud Public School District?
Besides South Junior High, St. Cloud Public School District also operates Technical Senior High (1,561 students), Apollo Senior High (1,264 students), and Oak Hill Community Elementary (878 students). See the St. Cloud 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.