Enrollment
411
North Dakota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Minot, ND
South Prairie Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for South Prairie Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 381717000594
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 95
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Prairie Elementary School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of North Dakota schools.
- #1 of 10
- schools in Minot · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.4:1
- large classes for North Dakota
- 15.7%
- free-lunch eligible
South Prairie Elementary School has class sizes larger than 90% of North Dakota schools. Computed live against every North Dakota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Prairie Elementary School ranks #1 of 10 schools in Minot, ND.
School address
District: South Prairie 70 · North Dakota
NCES ID 381717000594 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 11.8:1 North Dakota avg
+39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
15.7%
vs 28.2% North Dakota avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Prairie Elementary School compares with North Dakota and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Prairie Elementary School
South Prairie Elementary School is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Minot, North Dakota, enrolling 411 students.
Class loads run heavy: 16.4:1 is larger than about 90% of North Dakota schools and 39% above the 11.8:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 15.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 411 puts it in the larger third of North Dakota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 498 scored North Dakota schools.
Among 88 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need North Dakota schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (81% of enrollment) (diversity index 33/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 23 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
12.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding South Prairie 70 spends $13,166 per pupil, 29% below the North Dakota average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Minot's public schools, it stands alongside John Hoeven Elementary School (504 students): South Prairie Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.4:1 vs 18.7:1).
Its district, South Prairie 70, also runs South Prairie High School (155 students).
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 Prairie Elementary School compares
South Prairie Elementary School on the metrics families compare, against North Dakota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs North Dakota | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.4:1 | ▲ 39% | 11.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 15.7% | ▼ 44% | 28.2% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 411 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
411
Bigger than 49% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
15.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% 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
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 39% above state mean
Top 90% in North Dakota - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.2%
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
$13,166
per pupil, district-wide
- below North Dakota avg of $18,450
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors18.0 FTE
Per 23 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 81.3%
African American 6.1%
Two or More 6.1%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 81.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 33.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 33.0, South Prairie Elementary School is more mixed than the North Dakota school average of 29.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for South Prairie 70, which includes South Prairie Elementary School.
$13,166
Per student
-29%
vs North Dakota
Avg $18,450
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.3%
State 54.0%
Federal 11.7%
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 Prairie Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Prairie High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Prairie Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 155
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
Similar other schools in Minot
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
John Hoeven Elementary School
Standard public school
504 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
Edison Elementary School
Standard public school
461 students 18.4:1 students per teacher
Longfellow Elementary School
Standard public school
435 students 14:1 students per teacher
Lewis and Clark Elementary School
Standard public school
418 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Perkett Elementary School
Standard public school
394 students 15.8:1 students per teacher
Washington Elementary School
Standard public school
336 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of North Dakota, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~411 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Prairie Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare South Prairie Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- South Prairie 70'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 Prairie Elementary School
How many students attend South Prairie Elementary School?
South Prairie Elementary School has 411 students enrolled. It is a public school in Minot, ND.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Prairie Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Prairie Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 39% higher than the North Dakota average of 11.8:1 and 4% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Prairie Elementary School?
15.7% of students at South Prairie 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 Prairie Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at South Prairie Elementary School is White at 81.3% of enrollment, in Minot, ND.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Prairie Elementary School?
South Prairie Elementary School 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 South Prairie Elementary School rank among schools in Minot?
By Resource Investment Index, South Prairie Elementary School ranks #1 of 10 schools in Minot, ND. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Minot on the city page.
Is South Prairie Elementary School a good school?
South Prairie Elementary School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of North Dakota 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 South Prairie 70?
Besides South Prairie Elementary School, South Prairie 70 also operates South Prairie High School (155 students). See the South Prairie 70 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.