Enrollment
539
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Austin, MN
Southgate Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Southgate Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 270345002230
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 20
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southgate Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Austin · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.2:1
- students per teacher
- 52.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Southgate Elementary has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southgate Elementary ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Austin, MN.
School address
District: Austin Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270345002230 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.4%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southgate Elementary compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southgate Elementary
Southgate Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Austin, Minnesota, enrolling 539 students.
At 14.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Minnesota median, within a few percentage points of the 15.8:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 52.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 539 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Against 233 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #68.
Its student body is led by White (45%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 32.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Austin Public School District also operates Austin Senior High (1,485 students) and Ellis Middle (726 students) alongside Southgate Elementary.
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 Southgate Elementary compares
Southgate 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 | 14.2:1 | ▼ 10% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.4% | ▲ 22% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 539 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.2:1
Leaner classes than 55% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
539
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
14.2:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 47% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 53% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
32.1%
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
$14,871
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
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 44.9%
Hispanic or Latino 29.7%
Asian 14.1%
African American 4.8%
Two or More 4.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 44.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.6, Southgate Elementary is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Austin Public School District, which includes Southgate Elementary.
$14,871
Per student
-3%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-10%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.0%
State 68.0%
Federal 15.0%
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 Southgate Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ellis Middle | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| I.J. Holton Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Banfield Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sumner Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southgate Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,485
- Students per teacher
- 31.6:1
- Resource Index
- 7/100
- Enrollment
- 726
- Students per teacher
- 22:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 712
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 574
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 387
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
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 (~539 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southgate Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Southgate Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Austin 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 Southgate Elementary
How many students attend Southgate Elementary?
Southgate Elementary has 539 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Austin, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southgate Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Southgate Elementary is 14.2:1, which is 10% lower than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 10% 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 Southgate Elementary?
52.4% of students at Southgate Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southgate Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Southgate Elementary is White at 44.9% of enrollment, in Austin, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southgate Elementary?
Southgate Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Southgate Elementary rank among elementary schools in Austin?
By Resource Investment Index, Southgate Elementary ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Austin, 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 Austin on the city page.
Is Southgate Elementary a good school?
Southgate Elementary earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. 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 Austin Public School District?
Besides Southgate Elementary, Austin Public School District also operates Austin Senior High (1,485 students), Ellis Middle (726 students), and I.J. Holton Intermediate School (712 students). See the Austin 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.