Enrollment
163
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Carlton, MN
South Terrace Elementary
Federal NCES profile for South Terrace Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 270759000328
👥 S:T ratio 62
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 53
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Terrace Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Minnesota schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Carlton · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.6:1
- small classes for Minnesota
- 34.7%
- free-lunch eligible
South Terrace Elementary has class sizes smaller than 83% of Minnesota schools. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Terrace Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Carlton, MN.
School address
District: Carlton Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270759000328 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
17.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.6:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-39% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.7%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Terrace Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Terrace Elementary
South Terrace Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Carlton, Minnesota, enrolling 163 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 9.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 34.7% lands close to the Minnesota typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 163 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 220 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #24, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 163 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district, Carlton Public School District, also runs Carlton Secondary (145 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 Terrace Elementary compares
South Terrace 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 | 9.6:1 | ▼ 39% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.7% | ▼ 19% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 163 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.6:1
Leaner classes than 91% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
163
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
9.6:1
students per teacher
- 39% below state mean
Top 17% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$16,091
per pupil, district-wide
- above Minnesota avg of $15,270
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 163 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 84.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 8.0%
Two or More 8.0%
Largest group: White at 84.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.2, South Terrace Elementary is less mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Carlton Public School District, which includes South Terrace Elementary.
$16,091
Per student
+5%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.1%
State 57.4%
Federal 14.4%
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.
How South Terrace Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton Secondary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Terrace Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 145
- Students per teacher
- 10.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other 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 (~163 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~9.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Terrace Elementary's federal record.
- Compare South Terrace Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Carlton 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 Terrace Elementary
How many students attend South Terrace Elementary?
South Terrace Elementary has 163 students enrolled. It is a public school in Carlton, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Terrace Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at South Terrace Elementary is 9.6:1, which is 39% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 39% 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 Terrace Elementary?
34.7% of students at South Terrace Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Terrace Elementary?
The largest demographic group at South Terrace Elementary is White at 84.0% of enrollment, in Carlton, MN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Terrace Elementary?
South Terrace Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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 Terrace Elementary rank among schools in Carlton?
By Resource Investment Index, South Terrace Elementary ranks #1 of 3 schools in Carlton, MN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Carlton on the city page.
Is South Terrace Elementary a good school?
South Terrace Elementary earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of 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 Carlton Public School District?
Besides South Terrace Elementary, Carlton Public School District also operates Carlton Secondary (145 students). See the Carlton 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.