Enrollment
486
Minnesota · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Albert Lea, MN
Southwest Middle
Federal NCES profile for Southwest Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 270297000078
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Southwest Middle earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Minnesota median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Minnesota schools.
- #8 of 9
- public schools in Albert Lea · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.2:1
- students per teacher
- 50.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Southwest Middle has class sizes near the Minnesota median. Computed live against every Minnesota school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Middle ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Albert Lea, MN.
School address
District: Albert Lea Public School District · Minnesota
NCES ID 270297000078 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 15.8:1 Minnesota avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.4%
vs 42.8% Minnesota avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Southwest Middle compares with Minnesota and U.S. medians
What stands out at Southwest Middle
Southwest Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Albert Lea, Minnesota, enrolling 486 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 50.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 486 puts it in the larger third of Minnesota schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,334 scored Minnesota schools.
Among 267 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Minnesota schools statewide, it ranks #243, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (27%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 486 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 110 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 486 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Albert Lea Public School District also operates Albert Lea Senior High (1,196 students) and Hawthorne Elementary (400 students) alongside Southwest Middle.
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 Southwest Middle compares
Southwest Middle on the metrics families compare, against Minnesota and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Minnesota | Minnesota avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.2:1 | ▲ 3% | 15.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.4% | ▲ 18% | 42.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 486 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
486
Bigger than 60% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 64% in Minnesota - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.2%
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
$15,247
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 486 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
62
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.6 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 53.1%
Hispanic or Latino 26.7%
Asian 12.1%
African American 3.9%
Two or More 3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 53.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.9, Southwest Middle is more mixed than the Minnesota school average of 42.8.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Albert Lea Public School District, which includes Southwest Middle.
$15,247
Per student
0%
vs Minnesota
Avg $15,270
-8%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.8%
State 69.9%
Federal 12.3%
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 Southwest Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert Lea Senior High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hawthorne Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lakeview Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Halverson Elementary | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Sibley Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Southwest Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,196
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 360
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 275
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 57/100
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 (~486 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Southwest Middle's federal record.
- Compare Southwest Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Albert Lea 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 Southwest Middle
How many students attend Southwest Middle?
Southwest Middle has 486 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Albert Lea, MN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Southwest Middle is 16.2:1, which is 3% higher than the Minnesota average of 15.8:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Southwest Middle?
50.4% of students at Southwest Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Minnesota average of 42.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Southwest Middle?
The largest demographic group at Southwest Middle is White at 53.1% of enrollment, in Albert Lea, MN. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Southwest Middle?
Southwest Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower 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 Southwest Middle rank among public schools in Albert Lea?
By Resource Investment Index, Southwest Middle ranks #8 of 9 public schools in Albert Lea, 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 Albert Lea on the city page.
Is Southwest Middle a good school?
Southwest Middle earns 25/100 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 Albert Lea Public School District?
Besides Southwest Middle, Albert Lea Public School District also operates Albert Lea Senior High (1,196 students), Hawthorne Elementary (400 students), and Lakeview Elementary (400 students). See the Albert Lea 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.